YuGiOh! Avatar: Virtual Wars
by Phantom 1
Summary: A deranged kid with ties to Kaiba forces the Battle City gang to duel for their bodies. What do they do when there only hope for freedom lies within the hands of... Yami Marik? Uh oh!
1. Memories

Greetings, everyone, and welcome to another installment of the Avatar series. Obviously, this time it's the Noah story arc that's Avatar-ized (my term). As usual, reading the first two isn't required (though it definitely helps). The Duel Monster Database will be reset. Now, get ready for new monsters, new villains (and some old ones), and an ending like you would never believe. Because someone might not survive the escape from Noah's fortress. Is this the end for Yugi, Kaiba, or one of their friends? Read and find out.

Abstract: An insane kid with ties to Kaiba kidnaps the Battle City gang and forces them into a Duel Monsters tournament for their freedom and bodies. But what do you think will happen when their only hope for salvation is within the hands of… Yami-Marik? Nope, you're not dreaming, people, read on and find out.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Avatar: Virtual Wars

Fanfic Chapter 115: Memories  
Episode Basis: None

* * *

Memories are strange things. They are images from the past that linger in the mind long after the fact. Sometimes, memories can be good.

* * *

_"You're really giving me this? But why?"_

_"Isn't it obvious? I…"

* * *

_

_"You love me? But why, I don't have any magic."_

_"Your magic is in your heart."

* * *

_

Sometimes they can be bad.

* * *

_"My Pharaoh, even in death, I will always serve you."

* * *

_

_"No, my love, don't leave me!"_

_"Forgive me… my Pharaoh… I only did it… for you."

* * *

_

Sometimes they can come at you in fragments.

* * *

_"No, why you, why did it have to be you?"_

_"Forgive me, my Pharaoh, I did it… out of love."

* * *

_

Sometimes they can come at you all at once.

* * *

_The doors on the opposite end burst open and a man entered. He was dressed exactly like the priest on the stone tablet, and it did look like him. Several guards rushed at him with spears but the priest just held out something that looked like a scepter and with a burst of light flung the soldiers all around the room._

_"Where is the Pharaoh?" The priest demanded. Looking around, he saw the throne and stormed towards it. Suddenly a cloaked figure stepped between the priest and the throne. "Out of the way, Avatar, my battle is with the Pharaoh, not with you!"_

_"Never, traitor!" The man called Avatar declared. "I will stop your tyrannical campaign right here and now!"_

_"Stand aside!" The priest commanded and raised his gold scepter. Avatar held out his hand. Something around his wrist started to glow too._

_The priest lowered his scepter. "Apparently, this shall not be decided by magic artifacts, but by our own Spirit Guardians!"_

_"Agreed," Avatar said. Both combatants held out their hands and five large stone tablets, each bigger than a person appeared face-down in front of them._

_"Attack," the priest commanded. A creature appeared before him._

_"Arise, my Spirit Guardian," Avatar commanded and he summoned a monster as well: Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress #1. The dragon obliterated the priest's creature with a fireball._

_"One way or another, you will be stopped," Avatar decreed.

* * *

_

_  
_But whatever the circumstances, one thing is certain: memories are a defining point in our lives in that they shape what we eventually become.

* * *

The Battle City Tournament, a gathering of the best Duelists in the country. Some compete for pride, others for glory, others for reward, and then there are those few who compete for something higher than themselves. It is these few who shall become Battle City Champions.

Yugi Moto, the champion of Duelist Kingdom, who has joined the tournament to discover the secrets behind the ancient Pharaoh who resides in the Millennium Puzzle. He has often questioned himself on his destiny, his worthiness.

_Yugi walked down the street, deep in thought. I can't believe I almost lost the puzzle forever. He thought back to the fire and how he almost lost the puzzle. I wouldn't have even been in that mess if I hadn't handed the puzzle over to that zombie Bandit Keith. Because of my naivety, Yami was almost destroyed and I was almost killed if Joey and Tristan haven't come to my rescue. What kind of a chosen one am I if I can't keep hold of my Millennium Item?_

Yugi is in doubt of his destiny because of the mistakes of the past. He shall learn through this and through future trials, that destiny smiles on those who have faith.

_"Joey, there's not much time, I just wanted to say thank you. When we first met, you were selfish, greedy, and cruel. But now, you've demonstrated that you have a true heart and courage. Courage I could never muster. Remember, we beat Marik together, our bond overpowered his magic. Keep an eye on my Puzzle, Joey, it's yours now."_

_"Yugi, no, don't do this!"_

_"It's my decision. Look after Tea and the others for me, will you? You might now be the only thing standing between Marik and the ultimate power he wants. Farewell, Joey, my true friend."_

With time, Yugi shall learn the seven attributes of heroism: courage, faith, wisdom, compassion, determination, humility, and love. He will learn all of this and more.

* * *

Seto Kaiba, the president of the conglomerate Kaiba Corporation. He thinks this Battle City Tournament is his chance to regain the pride that he lost, and force everyone to acknowledge his greatness. But memories of a long-forgotten past will surface and test his understanding of his own self.

_In his mind, he could see the stone tablet Ishizu showed him at the museum. What is going on here? Is this another of Ishizu's illusions? The stone tablet became different, more rectangular in shape, and the image it showed was of his Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Kaiba suddenly found himself in a strange stone ruins. An Egyptian Priest was kneeling in front of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon stone tablet. In his arms was a girl with long blonde hair. He heard a dragon roar._

_The roar of his Blue-Eyes._

Forcing others to acknowledge your worth will only lower you in the eyes of those who you are seeking to convince. Kaiba shall learn that you can not escape the past, and that trying shall only bring more terror on those you love.

* * *

Joey Wheeler, a former street thug who has embraced the game of Duel Monsters. A sudden tragedy will make him question all that he has learned.

_"You fool!" The Rare Hunter insulted. "I've been leading you on the whole time!"_

_"What?"_

_"I have just the cards I need to finish you off for good! Now it's time for you to meet the most unstoppable monster ever played! A monster whose very presence shall bring me victory."_

_"Wait a second, an unstoppable monster… oh no! It can't be!"_

_"It is! I summon Exodia, the Forbidden One!" Five cards appeared in front of a pentacle star. A huge gold-armored monster with broken chains on its arms and feet appeared._

_"No way, it can't be! It's Exodia!" Joey recalled the last time he saw the monster, it was during Yugi's first duel with Kaiba. It was able to beat all three of Kaiba's Blue-Eyes White Dragons._

_"Exodia, God Flame, destroy his Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" A huge bolt of energy appeared and totally engulfed the dragon._

_"This isn't just about the card! Don't you get it? How could I protect my sister when I can't even protect a lousy Duel Monster card? I can't face her."_

To fully understand the soul of the Duelist, he will duel impossible odds, even journey to the mouth of the abyss. Only the light of a loved one will bring him back.

_Serenity reached up and untied her bandages, throwing them into the wind. Slowly, she opened her eyes. As they came into focus, she saw Joey grabbing the chain that held his shackle and swinging across to Yugi's side._

_"It's Joey," she simply said._

_Joey was on his last breath trying to undo his shackle with Yugi's key. Nuts, this key won't work, I need the other one. As Joey's lungs began to give out, he saw a shadow coming towards him. Who's that? Is it Yugi coming back down to rescue me? As the person came into view, Joey's eyes practically bugged out. Serenity! Serenity undid Joey's shackle and the two of them swam back up._

His experience in this tournament shall make him wiser than his opponents.

* * *

Marik Ishtar, a young man with grief in his heart and a cursed past. He shall try to control his destiny and others as well. But that shall unleash hatred unlike any the world has ever seen before.

_"I was afraid of this," Odion said with his last ounce of strength. "Beware the great evil hidden within Marik, I am no longer able to contain it." And with those words, he passed out._

_The others watched as Marik struggled. "No… I won't… be… contained…" There was a flash of light and Marik's hair stood straight up, the Millennium emblem appeared on his forehead. "At last I'm free!" The dark version of Marik, Yami-Marik, announced. "And now we'll do things my way!"_

His dark memories created an alternate persona, and like Kaiba, he must accept his past and his future, or else all are doomed.

* * *

Harold Kumara, the boy without a past. He desires to protect others and will resort to anything to do it.

_"This Battle City tournament would spell bad news for everyone involved, especially you, Yugi. If you value your life, you would withdraw from this tournament, otherwise I would be force to defeat you and eliminate you."_

But he too shall be confronted by an unknown past.

_"Where are we going, Uncle?"_

_"I was thinking of going to see an old friend of mine who lives in Domino."_

_"Who is he?"_

_"You'll find out soon enough. Here we are."_

_"But Uncle, there's nobody living here, there isn't even any chairs and stuff."_

_"Oh, there will be someone living there soon enough." The dialogue was shut out by something heavy slamming against the back of the skull. The world went dark._

And he shall learn the true substance of friendship.

_Harold shook his head, "I can't remember anything about my family, the earliest event I can remember is waking up in an apartment with no memory of who I was. A slip of paper I found in my pocket had the name Harold on it and that was all I knew. I've been alone ever since."_

_"But… you're friends with Yugi Moto!" Kevin pointed out. "Doesn't that count for something?"_

_"Not since I tried to eliminate him from the tournament."_

_"Are you sure he resents you for that?" Harold looked up at his opponent shocked. "I don't know about you, but I find it hard to believe that Yugi would resent you for failing at doing something to him."_

_Harold realized that Kevin was right, why would Yugi hate someone for failing to eliminate him? That sounds more like something Kaiba would do than Yugi. He's right, I really have no idea what Yugi thinks of me._

_"When Yugi beat you, he didn't exile you, you did that yourself," Kevin was saying. "If you still consider yourself Yugi's friend, you would stand by him no matter what he thinks of you."

* * *

_

Ishizu Ishtar, the sister of Marik Ishtar She believes that she can concentrate on the future to forget the past. But like Kaiba, she will learn that you can not ignore the past, no matter how horrid the memories are.

_We have been discovered and my Father had taken his rage out on poor Odion. He had whipped him almost to the point of unconsciousness. I was horrified, and Marik…_

_Marik was angry._

_"I warned you what would happen if you defied me. Now you will be punished!" Our father turned on us, intending to do to us what he did to Odion, beat us within an inch of our lives. But it was then that the evil Marik emerged._

_"Your pitiful threats don't scare me any more."_

_"Are you defying me, Marik? Your own father?"_

_"The question is 'are you defying me, Old Man?" The Dark Marik went over to the Millennium Rod, one of the two Millennium Items we were guarding. "From now on, we're doing things my way." He used the Millennium Rod's magic to hold our father to the wall._

_The Millennium Rod has many secrets, but one of its most dangerous secrets is that it is two weapons in one Millennium Item. The rod was really a dagger. And he took the dagger and he… he… he stabbed father dead.

* * *

_

_"I…"_

_"I know who you are," the woman interrupted. "We have a mutual acquaintance."_

_"We do? But I've never seen you before."_

_"Yes, but I have seen you many times, Kevin Hunter."_

_"How do you know me?"_

_She lifted up her veils, "I am Ishizu Ishtar."_

_"No way, you took over my Dad's job after he died." Kevin recalled a moment long ago, his father was at a ceremony commemorating the opening of a new exhibit at the National Museum for Archaeology in Egypt. He and his mother were along. Kevin remembered glancing across the stage and noticed the young dark-skinned woman standing behind and to the right of his father on the stage._

_"Yes, I donned the burden originally presented by the late Doctor Adam Hunter. In a way, it is a fitting punishment for me."_

_"Punishment, for what?"_

_"Because… in a way, I killed your father."_

_"No, that's impossible! He was run over by a car in Domino!"_

_"True, I was not driving the car, nor in the area, but I am still the cause. I asked your father to guard something for me, something very valuable."_

_"What?"_

_"The Egyptian God Card: Obelisk the Tormentor."_

_"I've heard about them, they're supposed to be only three ever made."_

_"You are correct, there were only three ever made and two fell into possession of my brother Marik and the Rare Hunters. I asked your father to guard the third one until I could make arrangements to return it to Egypt where it belonged. But tragedy befalls anyone whom the Gods find unworthy to possess the Egyptian God Cards. I realized this too late. I called your father and asked for the God Card back, to protect him from the curse. Alas, I could not."_

_"Finally, I understand," Kevin mumbled. "I always wanted to know why my Dad was killed and now I know."_

_"I have used others as my brother had, and now both of us will pay. You probably do not wish to forgive me for tearing your family apart, I understand. Rest assured, the gods will see that I am severely punished for my crimes."

* * *

_

All these participants have pasts they can not or refuse to grasp. But by the time this tournament ends, they will all learn the value of memories, both good and bad and they shall leave wiser and stronger. Memories are what define us and it will be memories that will triumph over selfishness and one-sidedness. But for this to happen, first the past muse be confronted. And for one, that happens to be now.

The End


	2. Prelude to Terror

Yu-Gi-Oh! Avatar

Fanfic Chapter 116: Prelude to Terror  
Episode Basis: A Virtual Nightmare & Isolated in Cyber Space: Yugi vs. Big 1 Pt 1

* * *

"Long-range radar detected aircraft approaching, attempting identification." 

"Identification confirmed, Kaiba Craft 3, owner: Seto Kaiba, President of Kaiba Corporation."

"Not for long, begin ascent!"

"Turbines powered, vertical lift charged, beginning ascent."

"Interface with the navigation system and alter its course to us."

"Acknowledge."

* * *

On board the blimp, Yugi Moto sat up in his bed, holding the Millennium Puzzle. "I didn't get an ounce of sleep last night," he complained. "Marik's cruelty knows no bounds. He sent Bakura to the Shadow Realm, someone who wasn't a threat! But Bakura was only the latest of Marik's victims. First his servant Odion fell, and then he trapped Mai's mind in the Shadow Realm." Yugi placed his Millennium Puzzle around his neck. "I can't just stand by and wait to see who's next, I have to…" A fierce shake ejected Yugi from his bed. "What the heck…"

* * *

The jolt also shook Joey out of bed, though having two other bodies in it with him certainly contributed. "What the heck?" He turned to Duke and Tristan who were still sound sleep. "Hey, wake up, guys!" But the two were still sleeping. "Hey, get up, you lazy bums!" When they still wouldn't wake up, Joey resorted to desperate measures, namely flipping over the mattress and sending the two crashing to the ground. 

That woke them up.

* * *

The jolt also woke up Harold, who didn't really realize that he had fallen asleep in his chair. "What was that?" He asked. 

"Harold?" Harold jumped a little; he had forgotten that Serenity was here too. She had fallen asleep on the bed. What happened last night came back to him. "What's going on?"

"I don't know, Serenity, it feels like the blimp is being attacked!"

* * *

After her and Yugi's encounter with Yami-Marik, Tea had joined Kevin with keeping watch over Mai. She was asleep up until the shaking of the blimp. She jumped up, "Kevin, did you feel that?" But Kevin didn't respond. Kevin was still sleeping at the end of Mai's bed. "Guess not."

* * *

"Sir, the blimp is being pulled off course," the pilot told Mokuba. 

"Well you better get us back on course before Seto finds out."

"What's going on?" Too late, Kaiba had already arrived on the bridge.

"The ship is turning on its own," Mokuba explained.

"Get it under control now!" Kaiba commanded the pilot.

"Is something wrong?" Yugi asked as he, Joey, Tea, Tristan, Harold, Amara, Duke, and Serenity ran onto the bridge. Kaiba was too busy trying to get the ship back on course to reply.

* * *

On the dueling platform, Yami-Marik looked out with an amused glance. _It seems like there's someone else who wants to bring these fools misery. How interesting.

* * *

_

"The auto pilot isn't working," the hapless pilot reported. "I don't know what to do, sir."

"Look, I pay you good money so you better do whatever you have to do to get us back on course to Kaiba Corp. Island!"

"Kaiba Corp. Island?" Harold asked. The Duelists and their friends turned to see an island with a strange tower at the center surrounded by stone rubble.

"That island looks like a piece of junk," Tristan commented.

"Hey, show some respect," Mokuba snapped. "That 'piece of junk' is where Kaiba Corp. first started."

"So that's where the finals are going to be held?" Serenity asked.

"Yes," Kaiba confirmed.

"What's with the rubble?" Amara asked.

Mokuba's face grew solemn, "That's all that's left of the old Kaiba Corp."

"Come again?"

"Kaiba Corp. wasn't always a gaming company. Our step-father, Gozaburo, set it up as an arms dealership, producing any type of weapon imaginable. He was going to use them to become the most powerful person on Earth, maybe even take it over. The island used to be his central base until Seto took control and tore down all the weapon-making facilities. In place of the corporate headquarters, he constructed that Duel Tower."

"That's enough, Mokuba, don't tell them any more," Kaiba ordered. _What happened between my step-father and me is family business and ancient history. I command an empire that dwarfs my step-father's. And once I'm crowned the world's greatest Duelist on top of that tower, I'll be out of his shadow forever._

_Kaiba seems to have a problem with his step-father, _Yugi thought. _I wonder why._

"Sir, someone's hacked into our navigation system," the pilot reported. "They've changed the destination coordinates!"

"That can't happen; our system is state of the art! Block him right away!"

"I'm trying, sir."

Suddenly the airship took a dive sending everyone to the ground.

"What's the big idea?" Tristan asked.

"Can you say lawsuit?" Joey snapped.

"I won't let my triumphant return to Kaiba Corp. Island be ruined by some computer geek!"

Suddenly the view screen overhead dissolved into static and a male's voice came on over the speakers, "Greetings, Duelists." The screen showed an image of a boy probably a bit older than Mokuba with green hair and eyes. He seemed to be dressed in a white shirt.

"Identify yourself!" Kaiba requested.

"Barking orders as always, Seto," the boy sighed. "I've been observing you for some time and now it's time to put you in your place. The first order of business is to put an end to your little card game."

"Look, kid, I don't like repeating myself so tell me who you are before I really get angry!"

"Oh, very well, you may call me Noah. You and I go way back, Seto."

"You guys know him?" Amara asked Mokuba. Mokuba shook his head.

The view screen switched to the ocean. A large fortress surfaced It was probably about twice the size of a battleship. A hole opened up and the blimp started to descend.

"Let us go, Noah!" Yugi pleaded.

"No use, Yugi," Joey said. "That runt has us right where he wants us… just wish I knew where that was."

* * *

Yami-Marik chuckled. If there was one thing he loved, it was seeing others put in danger. The only thing he loved more than that was to cause danger to others.

* * *

The airship landed in a docking bay deep within the fortress. 

"As soon as we land, I'm going to make that brat pay."

"I wouldn't mind getting a crack at the kid myself," Tristan said punching his palm.

"Chill, guys, he's just a kid," Duke said.

"A kid with the type of technology you might see on Star Trek?" Amara asked skeptically.

_She's got a point, _Kaiba thought. _No way this little runt could've plan this all by his self, he must've had help._

"Are we going to be okay, Joey?" Serenity asked.

"Don't worry, sis, we'll be all right as long as I'm here."

"All of you stay out of this," Kaiba instructed. "This is my airship and I'll get us released. We'll be on our way soon."

Noah's face came on the monitor again. "Now, Seto, it's time for you and your friends to exit the ship. And don't try anything I have automatic weapons trained on you at all times." As if to emphasize his point, the weapons aimed directly at the open hatch.

"Everybody, stay here," Kaiba instructed again. "I'll handle this alone."

"But Seto," Mokuba protested. "We don't know anything about this kid, how do we know he won't shoot you on sight!"

"I won't subject anyone to any needless danger."

"I think it's a little too late for that, Kaiba," Joey said.

"You hear me, Noah? You'll deal with me and me alone!"

Noah's answer to that was to fire a laser directly at Kaiba. If Harold hadn't set up a shield in time, Kaiba would've been fricasseed.

"No, everyone will exit the blimp now."

"Looks like we don't have much of a choice," Amara said. The kids exited the blimp. Two Kaiba Corp. employees tried following but Noah's lasers stopped them.

"This invitation is for Duelists only," Noah's voice said over a PA system.

"Yeah, right, Tristan's no Duelist," Duke said.

Tristan bopped him on the head, "Nobody needs to know that, Duke."

"Let me handle everything and we'll be on our way quickly," Kaiba told his "followers" as they went down a hallway.

"Oh get over your self," Joey said. "We're all in this whether any of us like it or not."

"Joey's right, Seto," Mokuba said. "Noah trapped all of us, so he intends to make all of us a part of this no matter what you say."

"Continue straight ahead and towards the door," Noah instructed. A door up ahead of them parted revealing a bright flash of light.

"Serenity, you better stay here," Joey advised.

"But Joey, we're a team," Serenity argued. "There's no way you're going in there without me."

"She's better off with us anyway, man," Tristan said. "At least we can protect her from danger."

"It's a lot better than being back there with Marik and…" Harold froze in his step. He whispered, "Guys, Ishizu and Kevin are not with us."

"It's better off if Noah doesn't know about them," Kaiba whispered back. "We'll deal with one psychopath at a time."

"Kevin isn't a psychopath," Harold argued. "He's has a strong sense of filial duty, like you."

"Actually I was talking about Marik," Kaiba said dryly.

"Oh."

"What do you with us, Noah?" Yugi asked.

"You'll find out soon enough," Noah replied. "In the mean time, proceed into the other room where my associates will elaborate. They're especially anxious to meet you, Seto."

"You're just so popular today," Amara said dryly.

The group stepped through the door into an empty hold. The doors shut locking them in darkness. Suddenly bright lights were turned on and five men were silhouetted against the backlights. They were all average-looking, in business suits.

"Surprised to see us again, Mister Kaiba?"

"It can't be," Kaiba gasped. "I got rid of you!"

"Who are these clowns?" Amara asked.

"These are the creeps who tried to take over Kaiba Corp. and sell it to Industrial Illusions," Mokuba explained.

"Aren't they also the ones who locked Yugi, Joey, Mokuba, and Kaiba in some sort of virtual reality game?" Harold asked.

"That's right. Gansley…" Mokuba pointed to a pudgy balding man. "Crump…" Crump was a short guy with a moustache. "Johnson…" Johnson was a tall guy wearing glasses. "Nesbitt…" Nesbitt was also average looking. "And Lechter…" Lechter had a brown goatee and a devilish shape. "Also known as the Big-5."

"The Big-5?" Amara questioned.

"These creeps have been nothing but bad news," Mokuba explained to Amara, Duke, and Serenity. "First thing they did was try to sell us out to Industrial Illusions…"

* * *

_"For our plan to succeed, Kaiba must be taken out of the picture... permanently."_

_"However, there is a catch: as per the corporate bylaws, only a Kaiba heir can legally take control of Kaiba Corp."_

_"To that end, Pegasus, we recommend you kidnap Kaiba's younger brother, Mokuba. He may control Kaiba-Corp. but we will control him."_

_"Do this for us, and we will lay all of Kaiba-Corp.'s technology at your feet."_

_"Agreed," Pegasus said. "The elder Kaiba will meet with an unfortunate accident and the younger one will be captured."

* * *

_

"Then they tried to get rid of Seto by trapping him in his virtual reality simulator pod."

* * *

_Kaiba's virtual pod sparked with electricity. Mokuba could hear his brother scream out._

_"Big Brother," Mokuba cried opening the screen. "Are you okay? Say something!" But it was no use, Kaiba was knocked out._

_The doors closed and the blast shield lowered into place trapping Mokuba in the room._

_"Your brother's fondness for technology has always been his weakness," Gansley said appearing on a monitor._

_"What did you do?" Mokuba demanded to know._

_"Seto should've heeded your warning, Little Mokuba, but now it's too late. His mind is imprisoned in his own game, thanks to some modifications that we made."_

_"Sabotage!" Mokuba realized._

_"And now, you're our prisoner again and soon, nothing will stop us from seizing full control of Kaiba Corporation."_

_Mokuba knew he had to do something. He quickly ejected his brother's deck from the scanner._

_When the guards entered the room, they found Kaiba's the only body there. Mokuba had escaped into the ventilation system.

* * *

_

"How could you five be around?" Kaiba asked. "I beat you creeps in my virtual game!"

* * *

_"Attack, Dragon Master Knight!" Kaiba commanded._

_"With Dragon Saber Blast!" The monsters belonging to the two rivals each let out a huge energy burst which intermingled with each other and together, struck the Mythic Dragon. The Kaiba Corp. Executives actually cried out in pain as the monster was destroyed.

* * *

_

"After Yugi and I beat their Five-God Dragon (1) with our Master of Dragon Knight (2), they were imprisoned in the virtual world."

"Yes, after you brats beat us, we wandered cyberspace for eternity," Gansley explained. "Until Noah hacked into the Kaiba Corp. mainframe and discovered us. Once we realized we shared a mutual enemy in Seto Kaiba, Noah uploaded our minds into his computer mainframe. And now, we're going to get our revenge on all of you!"

"I've defeated you corporate crooks once before and I can do it again."

"You'll have your chance," Nesbitt said. "Because we have devised a new game with Noah's help. A Virtual Duel Monsters Tournament."

"What the heck? We're already in a middle of a tournament!" Amara argued.

"Why do you want to duel us?" Yugi asked.

"Ever since Kaiba trapped us here, we could no longer return to our original bodies," Crump explained. "So we've decided to take bodies of others instead."

"And Noah rather insists that we duel you for them," Johnson added.

"Nobody's taking over my body again!" Joey shouted.

"It's time to pay a little visit to our virtual dueling arena!" There was a flash of light and everyone felt like they were falling through a blue tube. When they looked up next, they were in jungle surroundings.

"How'd we get outside?" Serenity asked.

"We're not," Kaiba said. "It's just an illusion."

"You sure?" Tea asked. "It certainly smells real."

"Sorry, that was me."

"Tristan, gross!"

A lour roar erupted through the jungle scaring most. "I don't like the sound of that," Mokuba said.

A huge dinosaur burst through the forest. Its roar matched the roar they heard earlier.

"And I don't like the look of that," Joey said as everyone backed out of the way.

All except Kaiba that is.

"Kaiba, get out of the way!" Yugi shouted. But Kaiba stood firm. The dinosaur raised its claw and brought it down on Kaiba.

It passed right through him.

The dinosaur let out another roar and scampered away.

"You think you can intimidate me, Noah?" Kaiba asked. "I was writing better virtual reality programs when you were still in diapers!"

Tea reached out to touch a flower but her hand went through it. "Hey, it's just a hologram." She then looked up and saw Kaiba dressed in the blue outfit he wore at Duelist Kingdom. "Uh… Kaiba, did you just change your clothes?"

"That's not Kaiba," Yugi said nervously. Tea looked over her shoulder and saw Kaiba in his black and silver outfit. She looked from one Kaiba to the other, and then she freaked and backpedaled to the others.

"Relax, it's just a cheap copy," Kaiba said.

"A copy of yourself?" Harold questioned.

"I used to make virtual copies of myself to duel against all the time."

"Why would you want to duel yourself?" Duke asked.

"Who better?"

"Gee, Kaiba, you're the humblest guy I know," Amara said dryly.

Serenity screamed brought their attention. A huge man carrying several swords came out of the trees.

"It's a Duel Monster!" Harold gasped. "A real life Duel Monster!"

The Virtual Kaiba squared off against the Duel Monster.

One of the Big 5's voices came over a loudspeaker. "It's time to demonstrate the new rules of our tournament. For this tournament, we'll be using the Deck Master System."

Amara snickered. "Card deck, you perv," Harold scolded swatting her on the head.

"For our sample duel, this 'Virtual Kaiba' will duel Total Defense Shogun (3) Virtual Kaiba's Deck Master will be Blue-Eyes White Dragon (4)." The dragon appeared besides Kaiba and a little behind him. "Total Defense Shogun will act as his own Deck Master. Now, let's duel!"

(VK: 4000)  
(TDS: 4000)

"First I summon Lord of Dragons (5) in attack mode!" Virtual Kaiba began. A large human wearing dragon-scale armor appeared. "Next I'll play Flute of Summoning Dragon allowing me to summon two more Blue-Eyes White Dragons." The two dragons appeared in front of the third one. "Now I'll move my Deck Master to the playing field." The Blue-Eyes White Dragon that was standing besides Kaiba flew in front of the other two.

"So the Deck Master remains at the Duelist's side until it's called to the field," Yugi deduced.

"I play the magic card Polymerization fusing my three dragons together to form the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon (6)!" Kaiba's three-headed dragon roared over Total Defense Shogun but the Shogun showed no fear."

"Being Virtual Kaiba's Deck Master gives this dragon the ability to attack immediately," Gansley explained.

"Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, attack Total Defense Shogun with White Neutron Blast!" All of the dragon's heads let out a stream of energy.

"However, Total Defense Shogun has his own special ability: Total Defense Barrier!" A shield was set up around Total Defense Shogun. "This can reflect an attacking monster's attack right back at it." The White Neutron Blast doubled back and destroyed the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. "When the Deck Master is destroyed, the player controlling it automatically loses the duel regardless of life points."

(VK: X)  
(TDS: 4000)

Virtual Kaiba screamed as he dissolved into bits of data.

"Tah-tah, Virtual Kaiba," one of the Big-5 said. "Consider that a premonition of things to come, for when one of you loses a duel, one of us will take over your body!"

"I'll take you corporate has-beens down once and for all," Kaiba declared.

The jungle faded back into the cargo hold. "Huh, how'd we get back inside?" Amara wondered.

"You were never 'outside' to begin with, it was all a hologram," another Big-5 member said. Most of the others gasped, "That's right, kiddies, you're trapped and the only way out is to beat all five of us!"

"You're going to wish you never challenged my Big Brother," Mokuba said.

"Yeah, we're going to send you old farts right back to the nursing home," Joey added. He then turned to Serenity, "Don't worry, Sis, we'll win."

"When it comes to Games, these five have bitten off more than they could chew," Harold said. "Our dueling prowess will overwhelm them."

"You've said it, Harold," Yugi agreed. "If we all stick together, the Big-5 won't stand a chance."

"Count me in," Tristan agreed.

"Me too," Duke added.

"Hold on, guys, he never said which of us will be dueling," Tea pointed out.

"You all will," the Big-5 said. "And the first five of you to lose will give up your bodies and your minds will remain trapped for all eternity! Don't you get it? Your chances for survival are 0! It's only a matter of time before we're free from this prison."

"You're going to regret saying that," Kaiba threatened.

"Yeah, you jokers are going down!" Joey added.

"Actually, it's you who is going down." A hole opened up under Joey and he fell through.

"Joey!" Serenity cried. But before she could reach him or even go after him, the hole closed up. "Bring back my Brother!" Serenity demanded.

"Before the dueling begins, we have to separate you all, to get rid of whatever hope you have. Now, let the Virtual Wars begin!" Tea was the next to be drawn into a hole.

"Tea, no!" Yugi called out.

Serenity was next. Tristan and Harold rushed over to help her but only ended up falling in themselves. A larger hole opened up under Duke and Amara and Kaiba and Mokuba.

"Seto," Mokuba cried.

"Don't worry, Mokuba, those fossils will pay for this, and Noah too!"

To Be Continued

* * *

Duel Monster Database 

(1)  
Five-Head Dragon (Five God Dragon)  
Level: 12  
Type: Dragon/Fusion/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 5000  
DEF: 5000

(2)  
Name: Master of Dragon Knight  
Level: 12  
Type: Dragon/Fusion/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 5000  
DEF: 4000

(3)  
Name: Total Defense Shogun  
Level: 6  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 1550  
DEF: 2500

(4)  
Name: Blue-Eyes White Dragon  
Level: 8  
Type: Dragon  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 3000  
DEF: 2500

(5)  
Name: Lord of Dragons (Lord of D.)  
Level: 4  
Type: Spellcaster/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 1200  
DEF: 1100

(6)  
Name: Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon  
Level: 12  
Type: Dragon/Fusion  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 4500  
DEF: 3800


	3. Yugi in Cyber Space Pt 1

Yu-Gi-Oh! Avatar

Fanfic Chapter 117: Yugi in Cyber Space Pt 1: The Littlest Deck Master  
Episode Basis: Isolated in Cyber Space: Yugi vs. Big 1 Pt 1

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh! The Battle City Gang was hijacked on their way to Kaiba Corp. Island for the Finals and forced to land on a mysterious floating fortress. The culprit of this sky-jacking was a mysterious kid named Noah who apparently has some sort of tie to Seto Kaiba. Forcing to disembark, the Duelists and their allies discovered that Noah had some old friends (said literally and metaphorically). The Big-5, the Kaiba Corp. Board of Directors who tried selling Kaiba Corp. to Pegasus and getting rid of Kaiba, Yugi, and Joey in a virtual reality game. The Big-5 was forcing them into a Duel Monsters tournament whereby the winner gets to escape to the real world in a body, and the loser's mind will remain in cyber space. There was also a new rule called a Deck Master, a monster that remained on the side and had special abilities to help the Duelist off. The Big-5 then separated the gang and cast them into who-knows-where. What do you think this Deck Master System is all about?

* * *

Joey moaned and opened his eyes. "Man, I haven't felt this bad since Dodge Ball in Gym Class." Joey looked around. He was outside a huge castle-mansion. "Where did those five nut jobs send us now? I better find Serenity and get her out of here."

* * *

Tea awoke to find herself in a canyon. "How do I get out of here?" She wondered. A low roar came from the distance. "Something tells me I don't want to find out what that was."

* * *

Serenity found herself on the shore of a small lake. "Joey? Yugi? Harold? Anybody?" She slowly stood up. "I'm alone," she realized.

* * *

"P.U.," Amara gagged as she awoke. "Why does it smell like a sewer here?"

"Uh… Amara," Duke Devlin said. "We are in a sewer." Amara looked around and realized Duke was right. They were in a sewer. Small ledges ran along the walls. Running water could be heard. Amara looked down at the cesspool. "Come on," Duke said taking off. "We need to find Serenity!"

"Huh… hey wait up," Amara called running after Duke. "You know, there are others lost too, you know."

"They can handle themselves, but Serenity is a total amateur. If one of those Big-5 guys corner her…"

"Good point."

_Hold on, Serenity, _Duke thought. _I'll rescue you!

* * *

_

"Serenity, are you here? Serenity, answer me!" Tristan cried. He was in a long hallway. "I have to find Serenity, she needs me!" He ran off.

* * *

Harold's stomach hurt, like he's been punched in the gut. He awoke to find himself draped across the branch of a tree. He dropped down but used his Armlet to cushion his fall. "Now to find the others."

* * *

Kaiba and Mokuba were on a clear-cut path. Mokuba woke up first, and then nudged Seto awake. "Seto, are you all right?"

"Mokuba?" Kaiba groaned and sat up. "Where are we?"

"I don't know. I think the Big-5 separated us all."

"Come on," Kaiba said. "We need to find a way out of here."

"But what about the others?"

"Let them find their own way out. Let's go."

"Okay," Mokuba said reluctantly. He didn't like leaving Yugi and the others around.

* * *

Noah was watching them all from a hidden control room. His singular chair was surrounded by view screens that showed different environments in his virtual world. "Ah, perfect, I have all of them right where I want them… isolated, cut off from one another, helpless. Now it's only a matter of deciding who to crush first." He scanned the images of the gang until he settled on Yugi. "Who better to suffer first than the infamous Yugi Moto? I think I'll send Gansley."

* * *

Like Serenity, Yugi found himself on a lakeside. "It's hard to believe this is all virtual," he said. "I just hope Tea and the others are all right. We have more important things to worry about than Noah's grudge against Kaiba."

Suddenly a large humanoid in green scaly armor rose from the water. "Greetings, Yugi Moto."

Yugi immediately recognized his voice, "It's one of the Big-5!"

"Correct, I am Gansley, former Vice-President of Business Strategies at Kaiba Corp. But in this world, I've taken the form of a Duel Monster known as Deepsea Warrior (1)."

Yugi wasn't impressed by Gansley's credentials or his new form. "It looks to me like you're nothing but a feeble old man who couldn't win a duel with me if his life depended on it."

"Have you forgotten the new rules, you fool? My life DOES depend on it. If I win, I get to take over your body and escape to the real world." He smirked and said mockingly, "I can't wait to be young again, although I will have to do something about that hair cut, maybe something a bit more professional-looking."

Yami appeared. _"This must stop, our friends are in trouble."_

_"I know, Yami, we have to beat the Big-5 at their own game. If not, they could go after Tea and the others."_

_"Then let's join and show this pitiful excuse for a Duel Monster what the King of Games can do."_

_"You got it, partner!" _The Millennium Puzzle glowed as Yugi and Yami joined their spirits into one. "I can guarantee that you won't win, Gansley, I have heart on my side."

"With the new rules, my smarts will overcome your heart," Gansley countered. "Now, seeing as how we're in the Virtual World, your current deck is worthless. You must choose a new deck from Noah's virtual card database." Rows of cards scrolled up in front Yami-Yugi. Yami-Yugi tried to pick cards that were similar, if not exactly the same, to his Battle City deck. "Next we must each choose a monster to serve as our Deck Master. Since I have already taken the form of a monster, I will be both Duelist and Deck Master. Each monster has a different Deck Master ability. Rather then tell you what they are, I think you should discover for yourself."

_Without knowing what the exact rules of this new battle system is, it's hard to choose a monster that will help me win against him, _Yami-Yugi thought as he looked through his deck. _So I'll just go with my heart and choose a monster that has never let me down before. _"I choose the Da…" Suddenly a green three-toed claw popped out of another card. The claw was making a strange cooing sound. Soon another claw joined it and soon after that, a little fur ball with big eyes was floating in front of Yami-Yugi. "Kuriboh (2)?"

"Interesting choice," Gansley commented with a chuckle.

"But I didn't choose him," Yami-Yugi protested at the same time trying to fend off Kuriboh's attacks of affection.

"Too bad, once a Deck Master is chosen, it can not be changed."

Yami-Yugi sighed and turned to Kuriboh. "All right, Kuriboh, I may not have chosen you, but we have to win this duel together." Kuriboh put on a stern face and settled into position besides Yami-Yugi. "Kuriboh will be my Deck Master."

"Now that we have that cleared up, let's get down to business." Gansley activated his Duel Disk.

"You mean let's duel," Yami-Yugi corrected activating his own Duel Disk.

(Y: 4000)  
(G: 4000)

"I'll go first by setting a monster in defense mode," Gansley said. He chuckled, "You don't have the business skills to wheel and deal with a mogul like me."

"Duel Monsters is about honor, trust, and respect, not business skills and making deals, as you're about to find out. I summon Obnoxious Celtic Guardian (3) in attack mode!" The Obnoxious Celtic Guardian was similar to the normal Celtic Guardian though this one was wearing a smirk on its face. "I also set one card face-down. Now, Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, attack his monster now!" The Guardian raised his sword and sliced the card.

"Thank you," Gansley said. "By destroying my Ashinigrai (4), you activated its special ability causing you to discard one card from your hand."

Yami-Yugi discarded his Exchange magic card. "It doesn't matter I still have plenty of cards."

"And you're going to need all of them, for Ashinigrai has another special ability. For when it's destroyed, I can summon another Ashinigrai to the field and shuffle my deck." Another monster appeared. "If you've done your research you could've avoided this embarrassing loss."

Yami-Yugi grunted.

* * *

Meanwhile, Serenity was standing on a dock watching a flock of swans pass by. "This place isn't so bad," she decided. Curiously, she dipped her hand in the water. "If all this is an illusion, how come it feels so real? When Tea touched that flower, her hand went right through it, but now…" Dark clouds began gathering in the distance. "Uh… maybe I should go find Joey." She turned and ran off.

Noah chuckled, "Run as far as you like, my lovely, there's no way you're escaping. There's no way any of you are escaping!"

* * *

Harold also saw the dark clouds. "I don't like the looks of that," he said. "I just hope I can find the others before Noah and the Big-5 put their plan into motion." He ran off in a direction. "Problem is I have no idea where the heck I'm going. Oh well, won't be the first time."

* * *

Joey was walking down a wide-angle staircase in the castle. "How did I get here?" Joey wondered. "Last thing I remember is spooking those Big-5 creeps. Hey, you corporate crones better show yourselves before I really get angry!" Joey felt a strange presence behind him. Nervously, he turned around and screamed.

It was only a suit of armor.

Joey breathed a sigh of relief. "So you want a piece of me too, huh?" He asked the suit. He pushed it down. "Lousy tin can," he mumbled and walked away.

* * *

Tristan skidded to a halt. "That was weird I thought I heard a crash. I just hope Serenity's all right." He started running down the hallway again. "Man, how far does this thing go?"

* * *

"You'd think a sewer would've had a ladder or something," Amara complained.

"I just hope we find Serenity soon," Duke said.

Amara sighed frustrated, "Serenity, Serenity, Serenity, all you've been talking about since we disembarked was Serenity. What do you and Tristan find so appealing about her?"

"Like you would understand."

"Just what the heck is that suppose to mean?" Amara asked. Duke just continued on his way. "Hey, I'm talking to you, dice-ear! Fine, be that way."

* * *

Kaiba and Mokuba were walking through the woods, trying to find a way out. "Seto, could you clear something up for me? I mean, I know the Big-5 want to use our bodies to escape to the real world. But what about this Noah kid? Who is he and what do you think he wants?"

"My guess is he wants what's mine, just like everybody else," Kaiba said. "What bothers me is how a kid like him could've built this entire virtual universe by himself."

"Maybe the Big-5 helped him?"

"Those corporate clowns don't have a brain cell in their collective heads to plan something like this. No, someone else is involved, and I intend to find out whom."

"And I'll help," Mokuba volunteered.

* * *

Back at Yami-Yugi's duel, Gansley celebrated in having have drawn a powerful monster called Ipiria (5). "There are three secrets to success in the business world. The first is to build a powerful work force." He summoned Ipiria in attack mode. "Ipiria's effect lets me draw another card. Next I'll flip-summon my face-down Ashinigrai, building up my workforce. The second is to know your own resources. When my Ashinigrai is switched to attack mode, I trigger its effect causing you to discard one card." Yami-Yugi did so. "And the third and most important rule is to keep your competition guessing. You have no idea of the horrors in store for you!"

* * *

Tristan finally collapsed from all the running. "If I ever get out of here, I'm trying out for track," he said. "I could be an Olympian." He got up and looked down the hallway. "It looks like this hallway is supposed to go down forever. And it doesn't look like I'll be reaching an exit any time soon." He took an axe off the wall. "So I'll just have to make my own." He began whacking the wall with the axe.

* * *

"Daylight!" Amara cried. A small shaft of light was coming from the end of the passageway. She ran ahead of Duke and climbed the ladder. "Oh crap," she moaned.

"What's wrong?" Duke asked.

"We weren't in a sewer, we were below it, and I just climbed up into the sewers."

"WHAT?" Duke cried. He shoved Amara up through the hole and climbed up himself.

* * *

Tea had wandered from one end of the canyon almost to the other end with no signs of anyone, man or otherwise. _This isn't good, I better find the others soon, _she thought. "Hello, is anyone here?" She heard a noise and turned to see a giant green one-eyed monster standing above the canyon. It was a Hitotsu-Me Giant (6), a Duel Monster. "Uh-oh, something tells me I wandered into the wrong part of town." She turned to run but only came upon more Hitotsu-Me Giants. "I think it's time to get out of here." She turned to leave but slipped on a pebble, triggering the attention of the giants. Tea panicked and scrambled up but one of the giants threw a club down near her, kicking up rocks and causing one to cut her in the cheek. Tea was almost home free when a giant stepped out from the shadows and blocked her escape route.

Tea screamed.

* * *

"Seto, look!" Mokuba pointed to a door standing right in the middle of the path. "A door, it's probably the way out." He ran to it.

"Mokuba, wait," Seto called back but Mokuba was already opening the door. The Kaiba Brothers were blinded by a flash of light.

When their eyes finally re-focused, they were standing in front of a one-floor building surrounded by an iron gate. Mokuba gasped, "Seto… it's the Orphanage where we grew up… I didn't know it was still standing."

"It's just a cheap virtual illusion," Kaiba dismissed. "Like everything else." But deep down, he was thinking, _How could Noah know about this place? I never told anyone about it and I know that Mokuba didn't tell anybody. The only other person who could know would be our step-father, but he's gone! So what is this?_

* * *

"I predict a major growth in power for myself while you sink deeper into debt due to your pathetic Deck Master, Kuriboh!"

Kuriboh turned to Yami-Yugi and let out a series of cooing noises. "Seems like the little fur ball has an idea, too bad he can't talk." Gansley laughed.

Kuriboh growled at Gansley. Yami-Yugi calmed his Deck Master. _I wish I did know what Kuriboh was saying, I know his Deck Master ability can help but I don't know what it is or how to activate it. _Yami-Yugi drew the Polymerization magic card. _Perfect! This is just what I need! _"I play Polymerization to fuse together Berfomet (7) with Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts (8) to form Chimera, the Flying Mythical Beast (9)!" Yami-Yugi's mythical monster appeared. "Next I play the magic card Quick Attack allowing Chimera to attack immediately! Now, Chimera, attack his Ipiria!"

"An interesting move, but a poor business decision," Gansley replied. "For by sacrificing two monster on my side of the field, I can activate the Deck Master ability of Deepsea Warrior: the Reflector Hole!" A dark mass of energy appeared in front of Chimera and he disappeared into it. Chimera then came back out and struck Yami-Yugi instead.

(Y: 1900)  
(G: 4000)

Kuriboh watched with a horrified expression as his master was thrown back a few yards. "I'm… not done… yet," Yami-Yugi staggered getting up and returning to his spot. "I'm not out of business yet, Gansley!"

"It's only a matter of time. And your friends must be suffering even greater losses!"

_"Gansley's right," _Little-Yugi admitted. _"We have to end this quickly and find our friends!"_

"One more attack like that and you're life points will be wiped out and I'll be free to escape to your body while the you wander here for eternity!"

To Be Continued

* * *

Duel Monster Database

(1)  
Name: Deepsea Warrior  
Level: 5  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attribute: Water  
ATK: 1600  
DEF: 1800  
Deck Master Ability: Reflector Hole: When of 1 of your opponent's monsters attacks a monster on your side of the field, activate this Deck Master Ability and tribute 2 monsters to negate the attack of your opponent's monster and inflict Direct Damage equal to the attacking monster's ATK to your opponent's Life Points.

(2)  
Name: Kuriboh  
Level: 1  
Type: Fiend/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 300  
DEF: 200  
Deck Master Ability: Multiply Wall: Once per game, activate this Deck Master Ability and discard 1 card from your hand. Any damage inflicted by an opponent's monster is decreased to 0 during this turn.

(3)  
Name: Obnoxious Celtic Guardian  
Level: 4  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 1400  
DEF: 1200

(4)  
Name: Ashinigrai  
Level: 3  
Type: Beast/Effect  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 900  
DEF: 1000

(5)  
Name: Ipari  
Level: 4  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 1200  
DEF: 1000

(6)  
Name: Hitotsu-Me Giant  
Level: 4  
Type: Beast-Warrior  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 1200  
DEF: 1000

(7)  
Name: Berfomet  
Level: 5  
Type: Beast/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 1300  
DEF: 1800

(8)  
Name: Gazelle, the King of Mythical Beasts  
Level: 4  
Type: Beast  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 1500  
DEF: 1200

(9)  
Name: Chimera, the Flying Mythical Beast  
Level: 6  
Type: Beast/Fusion/Effect  
Attribute: Wind  
ATK: 2100  
DEF: 1700


	4. Yugi in Cyber Space Pt 2

Yu-Gi-Oh! Avatar

Fanfic Chapter 117: Yugi in Cyber Space Pt 2: Echoes of a Forgotten Past  
Episode Basis: Isolated in Cyber Space: Yugi vs. Big-1 Pt 2

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh! Noah sent Gansley into battle against Yugi triggering the first duel of this Virtual Wars. Gansley had taken the form of a monster called Deepsea Warrior to serve as his Deck Master. Yugi was going to use his favorite monster (I don't need to tell you who that is) but there was an intervention… by Kuriboh? Gansley was clearly amused that this overgrown hairball that sounded like a Pokemon was the King of Games' Deck Master. But nevertheless, the duel began. Gansley was summoning monster after monster with special abilities and boasting about his business skills. He then activated his Deck Master's Ability: Reflector Hole. By sacrificing two monsters from his side of the field, Gansley could turn an attack by his opponent's monster against him. Yugi's friends weren't fairing any better, for Noah trapped them in various parts of his virtual universe. And Kaiba and Mokuba were being harassed by Noah personally as he showed them the orphanage where the Kaiba Brothers grew up. What the heck is that all about?

* * *

Yami-Yugi was still recovering from being attacked by his own monster. Kuriboh, his Deck Master, looked at him worriedly.

"I knew a rookie couldn't keep up with the new Deck Master System," Gansley said.

"I'm a fast learner and you haven't won yet."

"I can see that you're weakening. Whether in business or dueling, once you see a weakness in your opponent, you exploit it for all its worth and you don't stop until the opponent is either yours or annihilated."

"You talk a big game, but you've got no monsters on the field and are wide open for a direct attack. Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, attack his life points directly!" His elfin swordsman leapt up and swung his sword across Gansley's mid-section.

(Y: 1900)  
(G: 2600)

Despite the attack, Gansley smiled, "Thank you, that's exactly what I wanted you to do!"

"What?"

"Now I can summon Ruclomba the Spirit King (1)!" A skeleton-like monster appeared.

"But how could you have summoned a monster when it was still my turn?"

"Every time I lose a thousand or more life points, I can summon Ruclomba the Spirit King immediately to the field."

"It's not how many monsters you have its how you use them."

"I've been in business a long time and I've always had a large workforce to do what I please. If I wanted to fire them, I could, it wouldn't matter, there would always be someone to use as replacement. That's business."

"No, that's just sad."

* * *

Noah watched this duel from his control station with an amused expression on his face. "I'm glad I hired you to do my dirty work, Gansley, now, let's see how Yugi's little friends are doing." Noah switched to a screen which showed Tea being carried off like a sack of potatoes. "Ah, I see Tea had a little run in with my Hitotsu-Me Giants." He flicked past Serenity, Tristan, Harold, Joey, Duke and Amara. He settled on Kaiba and Mokuba who were standing horrified at the image of the Orphanage. "Looks like the Kaiba Brothers had a little run-in with their past."

* * *

Mokuba stuck close to Kaiba all the while saying, "I hoped that I would never have to see this place ever again."

"Relax, it's just a virtual illusion," Kaiba said.

"Maybe so, but it still brings back bad memories…"

* * *

_I was too young to even remember our original last name. My earliest memory is of Seto and me arriving at the Orphanage. Even from the outside, it looked very foreboding. The big iron walls kept people out, but it also kept people in. Seto told me that all of our extended family were either too far away to come get us… or didn't care about us at all. It was just the two of us._

"Welcome, boys."

* * *

Mokuba paused as he heard something behind him. He and Kaiba turned to see two Orphanage officials escorting younger versions of the Kaiba Brothers.

"We hope you come to think of this place as your new home."

Kaiba's breath stopped. "Somehow Noah's able to tap into our very memories and cause project them as holograms."

* * *

_How perceptive, fools, enjoy the trip down memory lane.

* * *

_

_I knew the people there was trying to be nice, but I didn't feel safe there, I didn't feel like I belonged. Several families tried to adopt only Seto, saying he was a genius. But he refused to be adopted unless I came with him. So we were just left there. I couldn't stand to see Seto forced to live in that rat trap any more just because of me. One day, I just left the Orphanage. Of course, even back then, I couldn't fool Seto, he found me at the park, where we used to go before being sent to the Orphanage._

_"Hey, Mokie."_

_He always called me Mokie back then, it was his pet name for me. He also smiled. His smile was reassuring and filled me with hope, like I could take on the world. "Cheer up, kiddo, we're here so we might as well make the best of it. Come on, let's go for a walk."_

_We went down by the beach, where we saw a boy playing with his younger sister. "Seto, I miss Mom and Dad, I wish they were here."_

_"Don't cry, Mokuba, there's only one way we're going to get through this and that's by being tough. Emotions will only get in the way of our survival. We can't expect anyone to help us ever again, we're on our own."

* * *

_

That entire scene was being played out in front of the present-day Kaiba Brothers. "I guess that was your idea of a pep talk, thanks a lot," Mokuba said dryly.

* * *

_And that's only the beginning of my torture of you, Seto, so sit back and enjoy, _Noah thought with a sinister smile.

* * *

A flash of light produced a new scene from Kaiba and Mokuba's past. This time, the two were playing chess inside a classroom.

* * *

_I remember this scene too. It started like any other day. Me and Seto were playing chess._

_"Checkmate again, Mokie."_

_"Wow, in only five moves this time, Seto, you're the best chess player in the world!"_

_"You can be too if you just concentrate enough."_

_Even back then, Seto was a wiz at playing games. Whether it was a complicated game like Chess or a simple game like Dodge Ball, nobody could beat him. It was on that day where our future first revealed his self in the form of Gozaburo Kaiba._

_"He's done it again, folks," a television announcer was saying, "Gozaburo Kaiba has retained his title as the World's Chess Champion. But don't let his harsh playing style fool you, this business tycoon and head of the military contractor Kaiba Corporation has a heart of gold. He has already agreed to donate his winnings to support a local Orphanage."

* * *

_

_That was the day that changed my life forever, _present-day Kaiba thought. _The day I met my step-father for the first time. _A new scene played out.

* * *

_I had planned what I was going to say for weeks when I met him. I knew just what was going to happen, I had planned everything down to the letter. As soon as he exited his limo, I would position myself so there was no way he could ignore me. I could hear him as he walked through the Orphanage along with the director._

_"I don't want any of these brats touching me. Let's just take some pictures and leave."_

_"There's our ticket out of this dump," I told Mokuba. As soon as he approached our hiding spot, I grabbed Mokuba and ran out. "Mister Kaiba."_

_"What do you want, kid?"_

_"My name is Seto and I have a challenge for you."_

_"A challenge?"_

_"I've heard you're an avid Chess player who never passes up a challenge so I'm challenging you to a game. If I win, you adopt me and my brother Mokuba."_

_"You and me in a game of Chess?" He laughed harshly. "No one can beat me at Chess, what makes you think you even got a chance?"_

_"Because I never lose either."_

_He laughed again, "You have confidence kid, that'll get you far in life, but I'm a busy man and don't have time to play with children."_

_"Gee, that's too bad. I would hate to tell the newspapers how the great Gozaburo Kaiba was scared of a little kid."_

_That was his Achilles heel, and I exploited it for all it's worth. "Fine, one game, one chance only. Don't go crying to me when you lose."

* * *

_

"It was pretty impressive for a ten year old kid to be challenging the World Chess Champion," present Kaiba told Mokuba.

"What made you so sure you could win?" Mokuba asked.

"Simple, my desire to win was greater than his. I had nothing to lose and everything to gain."

* * *

_"Pawn to E-3."_

_"That's my opening move, kid!"_

_He was clearly upset at having someone know his strategy. "I know, I've studied all your games and know every move you're going to make."_

_"Studying my moves and mastering them are two different things, runt. Pawn to C-5."_

_I started matching him move for move. He though he had me beat after five minutes of playing, but I had led him along for most of the game. Finally, I lured him into my trap and delivered the finishing move._

_"Checkmate!"_

_Everyone was surprised, but none more so than he was. "What, how could a rug rat have beaten me?"_

_"I beat you fair and square, now you have to keep your promise to adopt my brother and me, or do you want everyone to know that you backed off from a promise made to a little kid. I don't think that would be good for business."

* * *

_

"That was the day I took control of my future."

"That was also the day you stopped calling me 'Mokie,'" Mokuba said, his voice getting more bitter as Noah's virtual world played out that fateful day in their lives.

"If it wasn't for me, we would've never escaped that rat hole. I turned our lives around that day!" Mokuba started running for the classroom door. "Mokuba, wait, come back!"

"I liked the way it was before, at least back then you actually smiled once in a while."

"Mokuba, get a grip, Noah's using these illusions to turn us against one another!"

Mokuba ignored Kaiba and opened the classroom door.

And almost fell in, for inside wasn't a classroom at all, but a long shaft with no visible bottom.

"Mokuba!"

* * *

"Now I summon Youi (2) in attack mode. Youi's effect prevents you from drawing a card on your next turn. Next I'll play Premature Burial to bring back Ipiria from the graveyard… for a small investment of 800 life points."

(Y: 1900)  
(G: 1800)

_I can't attack with Chimera again, _Yami-Yugi thought. _Gansley would just sacrifice two monsters to activate his reflector hole and then my life points would be wiped out. Even if I could get rid of his monsters, attacking him directly would just cause him to summon another Spirit King._

"What's the hold up, King of Games?" Gansley asked mocking Yami-Yugi's Duelist Kingdom title.

"A good strategy takes time."

"You're just stalling. I guess there's nothing you can do when your Deck Master is nothing but a weak and worthless ball of fluff!"

Kuriboh looked down ashamed.

"Don't worry, Kuriboh," Yami-Yugi assured it. "I still believe in you." But that encouragement did little to raise Kuriboh's spirits.

* * *

"Freedom!" Tristan cried as he smashed through the last layer of rock and brick creating a hole outside. He ran outside.

And almost fell a hundred feet.

"Looks like I spoke too soon," Tristan moaned. A female scream caught his ears. He looked down to see Serenity being chased by a strange dinosaur-rhino monster. "Serenity!" Without thinking, he leapt off the balcony he was on and landed on the monster's back, covering its eyes.

Harold heard the scream too and ran to see what the sound was. He realized that the monster was a Mad Sword Beast (3) Duel Monster. _Serenity and Tristan are in trouble, I have to help them!_

Tristan was about to lose his grip when a voice called out, "Tristan, jump off!" More on instinct than command, Tristan leapt off the Mad Sword Beast's back as a ring of strange symbols plowed into the Mad Sword Beast's side like a battering ram, sending it into a nearby lake.

And Tristan too.

But unlike the monster, Tristan could swim and he easily surfaced.

"Thank you, Harold," Serenity said hugging the guy the best she could. "You saved my life."

"Any time, Serenity."

The water was doing nothing to cool Tristan's temper. "Hello, what about me?" He called out.

"Tristan, I'm sorry, I didn't see you," Serenity said. "I was too busy running from the monster.

"Apparently here, Duel Monsters are as real as we are," Harold said. "Come on, we need to find the others."

"Right," Serenity agreed.

"Fine," Tristan said more harshly than he intended it to be.

* * *

"I draw…" _Wait a second, I can't draw, Youi's effect prevents me from drawing a card on this turn._

"You're dealing with a master strategist," Gansley told Yami-Yugi. "And a superior businessman. I've realized my calling ever since I first stole that lemonade stand from a neighbor and used it to net my own profits. And my net profit from that lemonade business is what Seto Kaiba makes on a monthly business. You see, Yugi, even when you start small, your minions can grow into an unstoppable workforce!"

"Oh shut up," Yami-Yugi snapped. _If I attack him with my Celtic Guardian again, he'll just activate his Reflector Hole again. But once he sacrifices two monsters, his defenses will be weakened. I have no choice, I have to attack. _"Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, attack his Youi!"

"I activate my Deck Master's special ability by sacrificing Ipiria and Youi! Reflector Hole activate!" The Guardian disappeared into the portal and came out again, attack Yami-Yugi instead.

"YAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

(Y: 500)  
(G: 1800)

* * *

The Hitotsu-Me Giants dropped Tea's body on a ledge (to them, it would be a shelf). Something fell on Tea's cheek and she opened her eyes. "What happened to me?" She wondered. She then gripped her shirt. "Why do I feel this stabbing pain in my heart? What's going on?"

* * *

"That's two direct hits. Three strikes and your out," Gansley joked as Yami-Yugi staggered to his feet, holding his shoulder. "Are you surprised at how real this duel feels? Virtual Wars is a little different than the duels you're used to."

"At least… I cut down on your monsters," Yami-Yugi said and then gasped, for his attack hadn't diminished his monster numbers at all. Ruclomba was still on the field and another monster had been summoned. "How…?"

"Simple, when you attacked, I sacrificed my Ruclomba to summon another monster. Plus when Ruclomba goes to the graveyard, I can summon another one to take its place. Now say hello to my newest acquisition, Wall of Illusion (4). Any monster that attacks it is immediately sent back to the player's hand."

_With two monsters on the field, there's no way I can attack now!_

"You gave it your best shot, King of Games, but in the end, Big Business always rises over small competition."

"You have a lot to learn about the game, Gansley," Yami-Yugi said. "As long as I still have hope, I'll never give up! I'll show you that the true power of Duel Monsters comes from the heart, not from 'Big Business.'"

But as to how he was going to do that, Yami-Yugi had no idea.

To Be Continued

* * *

Duel Monster Database

(1)  
Name: Ruclomba the Spirit King  
Level: 4  
Type: Zombie/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 900  
DEF: 1000

(2)  
Name: Youi  
Level: 4  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 1200  
DEF: 1000

(3)  
Name: Mad Sword Beast  
Level: 4  
Type: Dinosaur/Effect  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 1400  
DEF: 1200

(4)  
Name: Wall of Illusion  
Level: 4  
Type: Fiend/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 1000  
DEF: 1850

A/N: Obviously I'm taking a leap of faith when detailing the stats of some of Gansley's monsters. I apologize if I got something wrong.


	5. Yugi in Cyber Space Pt 3

Yu-Gi-Oh! Avatar

Fanfic Chapter 119: Yugi in Cyber Space Pt 3: The Weak Shall Inherit the Earth  
Episode Basis: Isolated in Cyber-Space: Yugi vs. Big 1

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh! While Yugi and his friends were dealing with their own problems, Kaiba and Mokuba were subjected to memories of their past, growing up in a far from hospitable Orphanage. When Gozaburo Kaiba, the reigning Chess Champion and former head of Kaiba Corporation visited, Seto challenged him to a game of Chess. The kid won and Gozaburo had to adopt him and Mokuba. But as Mokuba noted, Seto changed that day. He was no longer the game-loving pleasant boy of their youth, but the cold and calculating one of current. Even though it was a virtual illusion generated by Noah, Mokuba ran hoping if he interrupted the chess match, Seto could go back to the way he was before. Unfortunately for Mokuba, he ended up almost going over the edge… literally! Meanwhile, with an endless supply of monsters and his Reflector Hole Deck Master ability, Gansley was ruling the duel. Will Gansley's monopolizing dueling strategy conquer Yami-Yugi's heart? (Sheesh, now I'm starting to sound like one of those Big-5 guys).

* * *

"It's my turn, are you ready to give up yet?" Gansley asked Yami-Yugi.

"Not on your life," Yami-Yugi replied, still breathing heavily from being attacked by his own monsters.

"You're only a few life points away from losing," Gansley noted.

(Y: 500)  
(G: 1800)

"It would just be so much easier for you if you just gave up." Yami-Yugi glared daggers at him. "I'll take that as a no, oh well, your funeral." He drew a monster card called Rainbow Snake Eingana (1). _Rainbow Snake Eingana, this monster can win this duel in one move. But what fun would that be? I should draw this duel out a little bit longer and prolong his suffering. _"I summon Melchid, the Four-Faced Beast (2) in attack mode. Destroy his Celtic Guardian!" Yami-Yugi's warrior was destroyed.

(Y: 400)  
(G: 1800)

Yami-Yugi couldn't hold the pain back any more, he collapsed.

* * *

Tea sat on her knees watching the Hitotsu-Me Giants stir a pot. She recalled passing her hand right through a flower and then the pebble cut her cheek. "I thought this world was supposed to be an illusion, but that attack certainly felt real, and if I could feel a cut like that, then the others… in a duel… oh no, Yugi!"

* * *

"You'll never get anything done laying face-down in the dirt," Gansley cracked.

For some reason, Yami-Yugi, in all his pain, heard Tea's voice, _"Yugi, hang on, I'm right here for you."_

Yami-Yugi staggered to his feet, "I'll never give up! I'll stop you and save my friends, no matter the cost."

_"The thief must be stopped, no matter the cost!"_

_Another memory fragment, _Yami-Yugi noted.

"It doesn't matter," Gansley said. "I'll win soon anyway… as soon as I launch my next attack!"

_Gansley's right, _Yami-Yugi thought. _I have only 400 life points left and as long as he has two monsters on the field, he can sacrifice them to activate his Reflector Hole._

Yami-Yugi drew a card. It was a magic card called Rainbow Blessing. _Rainbow Blessing, this won't help me now._

"Stalling won't help," Gansley snapped. "Success comes to men of action!"

_I wish he would just shut up. _Kuriboh started chirping rapidly. "Not now," Yami dismissed.

_"Wait a second," _Little-Yugi called. _"I think Kuriboh is trying to tell us something." _Kuriboh was nodding his head wildly. _"Maybe Rainbow Blessing can help us. Yami, Kuriboh has never let us down before, and I know he won't let us down now!"_

_"You're right, Yugi, I've been trusting my deck, but not my Deck Master. It's time to put my trust in another. Ready, Kuriboh? _Kuriboh gave Yami-Yugi a determined glance and nodded. Yami-Yugi set Rainbow Blessing face-down. "I end my turn!"

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Amara asked.

"That's the tenth time you asked that," Duke said. "I wish I could answer you but I don't even know where we're heading."

"Why's Noah keeping us down here?" Amara asked. "I mean I thought he wanted our bodies to escape to the real world?"

"The Big-5 want that, I don't know what Noah's deal is. He's probably keeping us here while he gets the others out of the way."

"Because he doesn't consider us much of a threat," Amara concluded Duke's thought. "I'll show him who's a threat." She stomped passed Duke and down the sewers.

"What is with this girl?" Duke wondered out loud.

* * *

Tea was growing nervous as smoke billowed from her captors' pot. "I better get out of here before I become Tea Soup," she said to nobody. "But how to…" Something hit her in the back of the head. She turned to see a vine dangling from the top of the cliff. "Yes, my ticket out of here." She looked up to see a shadow waving down at her.

The shape was that of a penguin.

* * *

"Hold on, Mokuba!" Kaiba cried as he removed his Duel Disk. The door that Mokuba went through was a trap, leading to a cliff leading to an abyss. "I have you."

"Hurry, Seto!" Mokuba called out. "My hands are getting sweaty!"

Kaiba reached down and pulled Mokuba up. Once back on solid ground, the Kaiba Brothers caught their breath. "This place is more dangerous than I thought," Kaiba realized re-donning his Duel Disk. "Somehow Noah has virtual software that can imitate the sensation of touch."

"Poor Seto, you just have no idea," Noah said.

"I don't get it, Seto, I thought only we had the latest virtual software," Mokuba said. "But this place feels way too real. If you hadn't caught me, I don't know what would've happened." Tearfully, he said, "Thanks, Big Brother."

"Mokuba, remember, no matter what you may see, you must understand that the past is over. I may not be proud of every decision I ever made, but understand, everything I did, I did so we could have a better life; the two of us." Mokuba dried his eyes and nodded.

Kaiba looked up, "Noah, come out and face me, you coward!"

* * *

Noah just chuckled.

* * *

Back at the duel, Gansley drew a magic card called Offerings to the Doomed. "Ah, perfect. I activate Offerings to the Doomed. Now by discarding one card, I can destroy any monster on the field. And I'll use it to destroy your Chimera!" The fusion monster broke apart. "Now you have no monsters to defend yourself."

"Oh yes I do, I have Chimera's special ability. When it's destroyed, I can automatically summon one of the monsters used to fuse it and I choose Berfomet."

"It won't help you I sacrifice Melchid and Wall of Illusion to summon Rainbow Snake Eingana!" A large multi-color snake appeared. "Attack Berfomet!" The snake ate the beast monster. "Now you're defenseless once again. You see, hope is nothing before the power of business! Why don't you go home and play with your teddy bears."

Tea grunted as she climbed her lifeline. "I don't know who is rescuing me…" She heard a roar and saw the Hitotsu-Me Giants yelling at her and waving their clubs. Tea screamed and scampered the rest of the way up the rope. "But I'm glad they did," she said quickly.

_This is it, _Gansley thought. _I'm going to beat the King of Games. I've dreamed of this moment ever since he and Seto Kaiba beat us in Kaiba's game. Now, it's my professional business skills and superior intelligence that will prevail over his blasphemous speeches about heart and his koosh of a Deck Master. _"Ruclomba, attack his life points directly!"

_This is it, _Yami thought. _It's all over._

As Ruclomba bore down on Yami-Yugi, Kuriboh leapt into the line of fire and multiplied itself forming an impenetrable wall. When the smoke from the attack cleared, Little-Yugi was standing on the field.

And so was Kuriboh.

"Good job, Kuriboh," Yugi congratulated. "You saved what was left of our life points."

_"Yugi, why did you take over?"_ Yami asked.

_"I figured you needed a rest after all those direct attacks. One more of those and you would've been a goner."_

_"Thank you."_

_"The one you should be thanking is Kuriboh."_

_"Yes, I guess I was wrong about you, Kuriboh, you were essential in helping me in this duel. It seems that the heart of the cards guided you to us and with good reason."_

Kuriboh looked immensely pleased with itself. Yugi and Yami smiled.

* * *

Tea ran across the desert landscape, no sign of her mysterious rescuer. But the Hitotsu-Me Giants were right behind her. She eventually came to a rickety bridge over a waterfall. "You've got to be kidding me," she said at seeing the adventure movie set.-up. She looked from the bridge to the approaching giants.

She was scared.

"I could really use some friends right about now," she muttered. Then she recalled something.

* * *

_"Everyone, put your hands together," Tea instructed. "And I'll mark us with a special sign." She drew a star so that each point was on someone's hand._

_The others were confused by the action. "What gives, Tea?" Joey asked._

_"It's a symbol of our friendship. So that when Yugi's dueling, no matter how tough it seems, he'll know that he's not alone."_

_I'm not alone, _Tea realized staring at her hand. _My friends are always with me, no matter how tough it is. I'm going to risk it. _Carefully, she started to cross the bridge. Half-way across, the giants arrived and started to cross the bridge too.

The bridge must've been really weak because it split right down the middle. Tea was able to hang onto the rope railing. The giants on the other hand weren't as lucky. They plunged down the waterfall.

Tea breathed a sigh of relief, "I never liked action movies," she said.

* * *

"I don't understand! How can you still be standing after I made a direct attack on your Deck Master?"

"Easy," Yugi said. "I figured out Kuriboh's Deck Master ability. It can cancel out a direct attack by a strong monster."

Gansley scowled and then smirked again, "It doesn't matter, the only monster you have on the field is that pathetic Kuriboh and what can it do?"

"Watch," Yugi said and drew a card. "You shouldn't underestimate the small and weak, Gansley, otherwise they will become more powerful than you, like so! I summon Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight (3)!" This version of Gaia had dark and red armor and his horse was a maroon color.

"Wait, how can you summon a level seven monster without a sacrifice?"

"Swift Gaia's special ability let me summon it without a sacrifice if it's the only card in my hand. Next I reveal my face-down card, Rainbow Blessing!" Kuriboh turned many different colors. "When Rainbow Blessing is combined with Kuriboh, it can form the Rainbow Arch!" The Rainbow Kuriboh became a real rainbow with one end being in front of Swift Gaia, and the other end at Gansley. "Rainbow Arch leads a path that lets one of my monsters attack you directly! Now, Swift Gaia, attack his life points directly!"

_Oh no, Reflector Hole doesn't work on direct attacks! _Gansley could only watch in horror as Swift Gaia traveled the rainbow arch and stabbed Gansley with its lance.

(Y: 400)  
(G: 0)

"NOOOOOO!" Gansley cried as he dissolved into bits of digital information.

Yugi breathed a sigh of relief. "Phew, it's over. _Hey, are you okay, Yami?"_

_"A lot better, thanks."_

Yugi nodded then turned to Kuriboh, "Kuriboh, thank you, we couldn't have won this duel without your help. You proved that even the smallest and weakest can make a big difference."

Kuriboh cooed happily and disappeared.

* * *

"Hmmm," Noah said. "Either Yugi Moto is stronger than I thought or the Big-5 don't have the dueling skills they boast they have. I guess future duels will only tell. In the mean time…" He hit a button on his control chair.

A door appeared near Yugi. _"Yami, look, a door."_

_"Yes, hopefully it leads to our friends."_

_"Then let's see where it leads." _Yugi opened the door and walked through.

The End

* * *

Duel Monster Database

(1)  
Name: Rainbow Snake Eingana  
Level: 7  
Type: Reptile  
Attribute: Water  
ATK: 2200  
DEF: 1800

(2)  
Name: Melchid the Four-Face Beast  
Level: 4  
Type: Fiend  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 1500  
DEF: 1200

(3)  
Name: Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight  
Level: 7  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 2300  
DEF: 2100


	6. Girl Power Pt 1

Yu-Gi-Oh! Avatar

Fanfic Chapter 120: Girl Power Pt 1: Cold Reception  
Episode Basis: Freeze Play Pt 1

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh! Yugi took up the torch when Yami was in too much pain to duel. Yugi put his faith in his Deck Master, Kuriboh, and was rewarded. Kuriboh's Deck Master Ability was to reflect a direct attack. However doing so put Kuriboh at risk of being destroyed. But it was heart that prevailed as a special warrior monster and a rainbow bridge provided Yugi with the means to finish Gansley and retain his body. Now whose next on Noah's little hit list?

* * *

Yugi gasped for breath as he ran down a never-ending hallway. "This hallway… feels like… it goes on forever," he gasped. "Will it ever end?"

_"It might, but only when Noah wants it to end," _Yami replied.

_"But we have to find our friends," _Yugi argued.

* * *

"Sorry, Yugi, but I have a different plan arranged for you," Noah said as he worked his control panel.

* * *

A hole opened up under Yugi and he fell into a vortex of light. _Not again, _he thought.

* * *

"That should take care of the King of Games for a while," Noah decided. "Now back to business."

"Master Noah."

"Talk to me, Crump."

"Allow me to volunteer to duel the next victim and make up for Gansley's defeat. The problem with Gansley was that he tried taking on the King of Games. All the numbers pointed to Gansley's defeat at 96 percent."

Noah leaned against the arm of his chair, "So what do you recommend?"

"Take out his closest friends first, and that will decrease his morale by 95 percent."

"Agreed, and I already have the perfect opponent in mind." He pulled up an image of Tea. "Time to say good-bye to your body, Tea, it shouldn't be too difficult to defeat her."

* * *

Tea hauled herself out of the chasm. Exhausted, she collapsed onto the ground. "I'm never taking gym class again," she moaned. "Maybe I could get in a little nap before finding… the… others." She closed her eyes and immediately fell asleep.

* * *

She was standing in a desert. The sun was at its apex but it didn't feel hot at all, in fact, she actually felt cool. She looked around and saw pyramids.

Yugi was heading towards one of them.

"Yugi," she called. "Yugi, wait up!" She started to run towards him but then she stopped. "Wait a second, I think I've had this dream before... yeah, Yugi's going to walk into a pyramid and then the whole ground disappears…" Tea freaked and gripped the ground. Yugi disappeared into the pyramid and the door shut. Tea braced for the worse.

When nothing happened, she risked opening her eyes again. She was still in the desert, but this time the pyramids had vanished. There was a strange shadow in the distance. Someone was kneeling before a large rectangular stone slab. She was crying.

There was some image on the stone tablet but Tea couldn't make it out. The young girl crying turned and looked straight at Tea. Immediately, her face was imposed by another image, an image Tea recognized.

The superimposed image was of one of Yugi's monsters, the Dark Magician Girl (1). The crying girl looked just like Dark Magician Girl. Tea gasped.

* * *

Tea moaned and opened her eyes. There was something standing over her. She opened her eyes and rubbed them.

It was a penguin.

"So I wasn't dreaming," she realized. "I really was saved by a penguin… wait a second, what's a penguin doing in the desert?"

"Whark," the Penguin spoke and turned to leave. He then stopped and turned back to Tea. "Whark," it said again.

"I guess he wants me to follow him. Maybe he can lead me to Yugi or one of the others." Tea followed the penguin through a forest. "Okay, let's review here," Tea said to her self, hoping to ease her nerves. "I'm following a virtual desert-crossing penguin to who-knows-where after being rescued by said penguin from giant one-eyed monsters. When did my life get so weird?"

Tea and her penguin guide took her to a dock where a raft awaited accompanied by more penguins. Four penguins were balancing the raft as Tea and the penguin got on. The raft was pushed out as the penguins on the dock waved good-bye.

They drifted for what seemed like forever.

"Excuse me, Mister Penguin, but where exactly are you taking me?"

"Whark!"

"That's what I was afraid you would say." Suddenly the penguin dove into the water. The others followed suite. "Hey wait! Was it something I said?" Tea's raft stopped on a large ice flow with an equally large castle on top of a hill.

Penguins, there were penguins as far as the eye could see.

"What is this place?" Tea asked as she stepped off the raft. Since the only route not covered by penguins was the staircase. She followed it into the ice castle. There were even more penguins inside the castle. "Hello, is anyone here?"

"Of course, just look around you," an unknown gruff male voice said.

"I know that, I mean is there anyone here without a beak and flippers!"

"Nope, nobody here but us penguins."

"Who are you?"

"You don't need to know that just yet, Tea. Oh yes, I know a lot about you. Name: Tea Gardner, age: 16, height: five-six, weight: 120."

"Hey, that's personal!"

"You want to get personal, I'll get personal!" Tea followed the sound of the voice around the penguins. "A wanna-be dancer who secretly works at a burger joint to make money, not very healthy if you ask me. It seems you are quite affectionate towards someone who saved your life… or tried to at any rate."

_How does he know so much about me? _Tea wondered. _Some of this stuff I wouldn't even tell Yugi. _"Tell me who you are."

The sea of penguins parted to reveal a giant penguin in a tuxedo and top hat sitting at a table looking over a clipboard. "The name's Crump, former accountant at Kaiba Corp. and one of the Big-5!"

"So the Big-5 aren't just targeting Duelists, they're targeting everybody!"

"Quiet, I need to look over these numbers. Let's see… according to my calculations, there's a one hundred percent chance that we're going to duel! And my notes also tell me that you've dueled five times and once professionally which gives you a one percent chance of actually winning this duel!"

"And what makes you such an expert on me?" Tea asked.

"I need to know everything about you so when I take over your body, I can live as you. And once I do, I'll start a campaign to make penguins the second-most dominant species on the planet next to humans." The penguins burst into applause from that.

"I don't know if you're sick, deranged, perverted, or all three," Tea said. "I'm out of here!" But as she turned to leave, the entire ground started to shake. The virtual world transformed around her as the ice castle deteriorated into a small iceberg. Crump appeared on another iceberg twenty feet from her. A Duel Disk appeared on her arm.

"You're going to duel me whether you like it or not." Cards started to scroll up in front of her. "First thing you need to do is pick a deck from these cards in Noah's virtual card database."

_How can I choose the correct cards to use when I haven't even seen most of these cards?_ Tea actually recognized a few cards from Yugi's deck and she picked them as well as some chance ones.

"Next, you need to choose your Deck Master."

"That's easy," Tea said. A woman with blonde hair wearing a light blue outfit and pink skirt with a strange headdress carrying a scepter appeared. "Dark Magician Girl will be my Deck Master."

"Two girls for the price of one duel," Crump said with a perverted glare. "This must be my lucky day."

Tea just gave him the evil eye, "Just choose your Deck Master."

"I've already taken the form of a Deck Master known as Nightmare Penguin (2) you fool! And once you feel its immense power, you'll fall before me!"

"No way," Tea said activating her Duel Disk, "Time to duel, shorty!"

(T: 4000)  
(C: 4000)

* * *

Yugi found himself in a room with four doors with a number of stars over the threshold. "Where are we now," Yugi wondered as he headed towards one of the doors.

_"Yugi, wait," _Yami called halting Yugi's advance. _"Something about this doesn't seem right. We should probably test the door for booby trap."_

"All right." Yugi took out a coin and threw it in the direction of one of the doors. A monster appeared and bopped the coin right back at Yugi hitting him in the head with it.

"Ow," Yugi winced. "Testing doors is definitely smart."

_"We may have won our duel, but a whole new game has begun."

* * *

_

"Stand back, Pengie," Tea said as she drew a card. She recognized it as the trap card Mirror Force. "I place one card face-down and summon the Ancient Elf (3) in attack mode!"

"Let's see, the monster with the best odds to defeat her elf would be… ah-ha! The Giant Red Seasnake (4)! My Deck Master ability raises the attack of all water monsters by 200 points."

(GRS: 1800-2000)

_As soon as he attacks, I'll activate my trap card and then I can get a lead over him. _But she noticed that he wasn't making and movements to attack, he was staring at her face-down card (at least she hope it was the face-down card he was staring at). "Well, aren't you attacking?"

"You think I was hatched yesterday? An accountant knows to look at all the figures and to ignore your face-down card, which is obviously a trap card, would be a foolish mistake, unless I play this card: the magic card Cold Wave which freezes all magic and traps on the field for one turn. Now my Giant Red Seasnake will attack your elf and destroy it!" The giant snake burrowed right through the elf.

(T: 3450)  
(C: 4000)

Tea's feet were suddenly encased in ice.

"What's going on?" Tea asked.

"As we each lose life points, our bodies will be encased in ice. Soon you'll be nothing but a frozen block of ice floating around Noah's virtual world for all eternity!"

_"Cold… it's cold."_

Yugi heard Tea's voice, shivering. "Tea!" He ran forward, "Hang on, Tea, I'll save…" but he was knocked back by the monster guarding the door.

_"Yugi, are you all right?" _Yami asked.

_"Yeah, but we can't go anywhere until we get passed that monster. But by then, Tea could be…"_

_"Calm down, Yugi." _Yami gestured to the single star above the door. _"Do you see the single star above the door?"_

Yugi immediately made the connection, "Of course, in the game of Duel Monsters, the star represents the level on the monster so all I have to do is draw a monster with more stars." He drew the top card from his deck. "I call forth the Winged Dragon Guardian of the Fortress (5)!" A blue dragon appeared. "Fireball attack!" The dragon blasted the monster and the way was cleared. The door opened. "We did it!"

_"Hurry, there's no time to waste." _Yugi and Yami ran through the door.

* * *

"What's wrong, Tea, don't tell me you're getting cold feet."

"Ve… very funny," Tea stuttered as she drew her card. "I set a monster in defense mode and end my turn."

"Doesn't look like you've dressed for the weather," Crump joked. "Unlike me, who thrives in the cold." He drew a card, "Now let's see… this one looks good… then again, these could make a dangerous combination… which to choose… so many options."

"Will you just move already!" Tea snapped, the cold rapidly draining her patience.

"I'll take my time, thank you very much, as an accountant I take the time to weigh my options and their chances of victory. That's how I role, by numbers and statistics. Take your Deck Master for instance, she isn't much of a threat by herself, but if you add other cards to her she can become quite a threat."

"Huh, what do you mean?"

"You amateur! Don't tell me you chose your cards with no base strategy. This is going to be easier than I thought. I place two cards face-down and end my turn."

_Why didn't he attack? He clearly has the advantage. He must be up to something. _Tea drew a card, "I play the magic card Mystical Space Typhoon. This magic card can destroy one of your magic or trap cards." Crump's Mirror Wall was destroyed.

"You feel right into my trap," Crump said. "I reveal my face-down card, Driving Snow. This trap cards can reveal one of your trap cards and destroys it." Tea's face-down Mirror Force was destroyed. "So it was Mirror Force, eh? A rookie mistake and now that you're unprotected I'm free to attack you on my next turn."

_This isn't good, _Tea thought. _If I don't get rid of his monster soon, I could lose the duel. _She reached for her card but her arm was shaking from the cold.

_"Tea." _A thin hand was placed over Tea's.

Tea looked towards Dark Magician Girl. She had forgotten that the female monster was there, "Was that you?"

_"Yes, my Deck Master ability allows us to communicate telepathically. I can help you win this duel, but you have to trust me."_

_"If Yugi trusts you, then I'll trust you too," _Tea returned. Tea allowed the Dark Magician Girl to guide her hand over her deck and draw a card. "Yes, I play Tribute to the Doomed!" Crump's snake was ensnared in bandages. "Looks like I got this all wrapped up, Crump," Tea kidded as the monster was dragged under. "Next I'll flip summon my face-down monster, Fire Sorcerer (6)!" A girl with long blonde hair in a black dress appeared. She emitted fire from her hands which Tea used to warm herself. "That's more like it, next I'll discard two cards to activate Fire Sorcerer's special ability, taking away 800 points from your life points."

(T: 3450)  
(C: 3200)

Crump let out a squawk as his flippers were lit on fire. "Finally, I'll have my Fire Sorcerer attack your life points directly! Southern-Fried Penguin anyone?" Crump was sizzled but still standing.

(T: 3450)  
(C: 2200)

Crump's feet and legs (or what he had for legs) was encased in ice. "How do you like a taste of your own medicine?" Tea retorted.

"I like it just fine, thank you very much," Crump retorted. "I'm a penguin, remember? And penguins thrive in cold temperature."

"Yeah, that reminds me, I've got a question. What's with this penguin obsession?"

* * *

_My parents were always too busy arguing to pay attention to me, so I used to stay up in my room and count things. I would count the cracks in the ceiling, the bugs on the wall, even the hairs on my cat's hairball. One day, I was counting books in our library when I discovered an open book on penguins. That book opened my eyes. I learned that penguin parents took turns sitting on their eggs and was devoted to their young, unlike my own parents. From then on, my entire life was devoted to my two loves: counting and penguins. It was my one dream to one day open a theme park entirely devoted to penguins._

_I worked my way up the Kaiba Corp. ladder becoming chief accountant to its new CEO, Seto Kaiba. One day I proposed my dream theme park. But Kaiba had other thoughts…_

_"A penguin theme park? That's got to be the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard. We're a game company, not a petting zoo. Stick to what you're good at, Crump, counting."

* * *

_

"That punk shot down my dream, but once I return to the real world in your body, I'll finally have my revenge!"

"You haven't won yet, bird-brain," Tea said.

Crump drew a card. "With this card, I may as well have. I summon Flying Penguin (7). And with a little help from my Deck Master ability."

(FP: 1200-1400)

"And the magic card Penguin Sword…"

(FP: 1400-2200)

"I'll be enjoying your body in no time. Flying Penguin, attack her sorcerer with penguin sword!" The penguin swung its sword and stabbed Fire Sorcerer in the chest, disintegrating her."

(T: 2250)  
(C: 2200)

The ice moved up her legs to her knees.

* * *

_"I… I'm freezing!"_

Yugi entered a room that looked like the one he just exited. "Tea's in danger, we have to find her right now!"

_"Yugi, wait," _Yami said. _"Look down at the ground."_

Yugi looked down and saw the coin he threw at the door earlier. _"It's the coin I just threw! We've been going around in circles this whole time, and now we're back where we started! How can we save Tea now?"_

To Be Continued

* * *

Duel Monster Database

(1)  
Name: Dark Magician Girl  
Level: 6  
Type: Spellcaster/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 2000  
DEF: 1700  
Deck Master Ability: Soul Circle: Once per game, activate this Deck Master Ability to see a number of cards on the top of your deck equal to the number of monsters in your Graveyard. Then, select 1 card, add the selected card to your hand, and return the remaining cards from your deck to your deck in the same order.

(2)  
Name: Nightmare Penguin  
Level: 4  
Type: Aqua/Effect  
Attribute: Water  
ATK: 900  
DEF: 1400  
Deck Master Ability: Tidal Rush: Raise the ATK of all water monsters on your side of the field by 200 points.

(3)  
Name: Ancient Elf  
Level: 4  
Type: Spellcaster  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 1450  
DEF: 1200

(4)  
Name: Giant Red Seasnake  
Level: 4  
Type: Aqua  
Attribute: Water  
ATK: 1800  
DEF: 800

(5)  
Name: Winged Dragon Guardian of the Fortress #1  
Level: 4  
Type: Dragon  
Attribute: Wind  
ATK: 1400  
DEF: 1200

(6)  
Name: Fire Sorcerer  
Level: 4  
Type: Spellcaster/Effect  
Attribute: Fire  
ATK: 1000  
DEF: 1500

(7)  
Name: Flying Penguin  
Level: 4  
Type: Aqua  
Attribute: Water  
ATK: 1200  
DEF: 1000


	7. Girl Power Pt 2

Yu-Gi-Oh! Avatar

Fanfic Chapter 121: Girl Power Pt 2: Old Friends Reunite  
Episode Basis: Freeze Play Pt 2

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh! While Noah subjected Yugi to a virtual maze, Tea was targeted for a Virtual Wars duel by Crump, Big-5 member, former Kaiba Corp. accountant and all-around penguin nut. A premonition dream revealed to Tea that the Dark Magician Girl would be her Deck Master. Dark Magician Girl would prove to be an asset in that she could communicate with Tea mentally and was able to guide her to her first victory round. But Crump wasn't done yet. But seriously, how dangerous can a perverted talking penguin really be?

* * *

As Kaiba and Mokuba walked along the path, Mokuba felt his stomach grumbled. He looked at some bushes which contained small berries. "I wonder if those virtual berries have any taste to them, I feel like I haven't eaten in months."

The Kaiba Brothers stopped. Up ahead of them was a log shack, "Some sort of cabin," Mokuba deduced. "Hey, you think anybody's cooking any food in there?"

"I doubt it," Kaiba responded. "This seems a little too convenient." Mokuba was already running towards the door to the cabin. "Mokuba, wait."

"Right," Mokuba said, remembering what happened at the fake orphanage.

"Stay close," Kaiba said as he cautiously opened the door. They were greeted by a flash of light.

* * *

The Kaiba Brothers found themselves in a lavish foyer. Their young selves were being escorted in by Gozaburo. Waiting to meet them was a toad-faced butler.

"It's our step-father's old house!" Kaiba realized.

* * *

_I wish Noah didn't have to show us this flashback. The first few weeks in that house was like living in a nightmare. Gozaburo brought in tutors and experts from all over the world to teach me. And their lessons would go on into the middle of the night. And when Gozaburo himself wasn't keeping an eye on me, his butler Hobson was._

_SLAM!_

_"What in the…"_

_"Forgive me, Professor," Hobson apologized. "But it appears young Seto was more interested in studying the back of his eye lids than the lesson itself. The boss has no patience for slackers."_

_"I'm no slacker!"_

_"Then prove it, continue with your studies, or do you wish to return to the orphanage with your brother?"_

_"Fine."_

_But despite all my cramming, Hobson did tell Gozaburo. And with Gozaburo, even a little bit of slacking deserves a punishment, as he revealed to me and Mokuba at dinner._

_"Hobson tells me you've been lagging in your studies so you'll no longer have weekends off."_

_"But I've been working my tail off!"_

_"Not hard enough in my opinion. Discipline is the only way you're going to crush your enemies."_

_"But I don't have any enemies!"_

_"Don't be so sure, you have to learn that you can't trust anyone, trusting is a sign of weakness and shall be rewarded in failure. Hobson!"_

_"You called, Master Gozaburo?"_

_"Yes, confiscate all of Seto's toys."_

_"As you wish."_

_"Not my toys!"_

_"Maybe now you'll concentrate more on your studies instead of wasting your brain away."_

_Hobson told me it was for my own good, but in reality, it was simply for Gozaburo's amusement.

* * *

_

_I thought that the way they treated Seto stunk. Nobody deserved to have their toys taken away, even for slacking. Fortunately, I knew how to make him smile. The only trick was getting it past Hobson. But I found a way and set my plan into motion._

_"Hey, Hobson!"_

_"What do you want, little brat?"_

_"Seto forgot one of his text books. You heard Dad, study, study, study."_

_"I'll give it to him, now return to your room."_

_"Sure thing."

* * *

_

_I thought that if I saw one more text book, I would barf. Fate must love playing games with me because it was at that moment that Hobson threw a text book onto my back. "One more book for you to study before you sleep."_

_I have had enough. I threw the textbook away when I saw something sticking out of it. It was a note from Mokuba._

_Dear Seto,_

_I guess you found my hiding place. Remember, Big Bro, they can't take everything away from us. So enjoy my gift but don't let them find it._

_Love, Mokie._

_Inside was my collection of Duel Monster cards. They were pretty normal cards back then but they were mine and I thought they were special. Then I noticed that Mokuba had drawn his own card._

_A Blue-Eyes White Dragon._

_The Blue-Eyes White Dragon card was a card whispered only in legends. A card that could wipe out an opponent's life points in one attack. But there were only four ever made and even that was going on sketchy information. I took the make-shift Blue-Eyes White Dragon card onto the balcony that overlooked the courtyard. "One day, I vow to have a real Blue-Eyes White Dragon and then nobody would push me around!"

* * *

_

The scene of young Seto's bedroom faded leaving the present-day Kaiba Brothers in only a spotlight. Everything else was in darkness. A second spotlight shone on Noah who was clapping. "Bravo, bravo," he applauded. "Really tugs at your heartstrings, doesn't it?"

"We've had enough of your games, Noah," Kaiba hissed.

"Oh but the games are just beginning," Noah retorted. "You'll relive every painful moment of your entire lives."

"And what do you hope to gain from all this?"

"What should've been mine to begin with," Noah said cryptically.

* * *

Yugi stared at the coin with frustration. "I can't believe after all that, we just came back to where we started from."

_"It's a game, Yugi," _Yami pointed out. _"And games aren't known for being easy."_

_"Okay, let's see what we do know about this game," _Yugi analyzed. _"The rules are simple, the number of stars equals the level of the monster behind the door. Beat the monster behind the door and you can go through it."_

_"We're missing something." _Yami looked around. Each of the doors had a different number of stars ranging from 1-4. _"Maybe we should go through the doors in numerical order."_

_"You might be onto something, Yami, so far we've only been going through the one-star door and that only led us back to where we started. So if we go through the one star door…" _Yugi went through the door and found a door with two stars over it. "I summon Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!" The guardian charged the monster behind the two-star door and destroyed it. "We did it! Now let's just hope we can find Tea."

* * *

"I c… can't feel… my… my toes," Tea said shivering. "Yugi, I wish you were here right now."

"Looks like Master Noah was right," Crump was saying. "Beating you isn't hard at all. First you picked a Deck Master that's only half of the equation." Dark Magician Girl scowled. "Then you make all the rookie mistakes. Beating you should be easier than sliding off an iceberg."

(T: 2250)  
(C: 2200)

Tea's hand was still shivering from the cold (and from nervousness). Dark Magician Girl ceased her shaking. _"Be strong, Tea," _Dark Magician Girl advised telepathically.

Tea nodded, "I set one monster in defense mode and end my turn."

Crump drew a card and smiled lewdly at Tea. "Flying Penguin, attack her face-down card with penguin sword!" The penguin slashed through the card. A pair of wings briefly appeared before disappearing.

"You just flipped over my Skelengel (1) which means I get to draw a card." Tea drew the magic card Magic Formula. _This looks like it could come in handy._

"Draw all the pathetic cards you want, because it's only a matter of time before you're frozen in time forever, or my name isn't Adrian Randolph Crump III, master of the art of number-crunching and all-around bestest penguin in the world!"

"You're one weird little bird," Tea commented as she drew a card. It was a monster card called Maha Vailo (2). _Maha Vailo? This card won't help._

_"Yes it will." _Tea looked at Dark Magician Girl. _"Maha Vailo contains a special power within it. But the power can only be accessed through a magic card."_

_"A magic card?" _Tea looked at the Magic Formula card she drew as the result of her Skelengel. _What do I have to lose? _"I summon Maha Vailo in attack mode!" A blue-robed sage with make-shift wings on his back appeared. "Next I play the magic card Magic Formula raising its attack power by 500 points!"

(MV: 1550-2050)

"It's still not enough!"

"Don't be so sure, Maha Vailo has a special power. For every magic card I add to it, I can increase its attack points by 500!"

(MV: 2050-2550)

"Maha Vailo, attack with magic lightning!" The spell caster blasted the penguin.

(T: 2250)  
(C: 1850)

Tea breathed a sigh of relief. She was safe… for now.

* * *

_"Yugi, I'm freezing, I can't feel my toes."_

Yugi skidded to a halt. "Tea's voice is getting louder!"

_"Yes, we must be close," _Yami agreed.

Yugi took another steep and then paused. "Maybe she's…"

_"Is something wrong?"_

_"No, it's nothing. We have to defeat more of Noah's monsters to get through this maze. Then we have to find Tea before it's too late."_

_"Right, let's go, she needs our help."_

_"Yeah." _But in his mind, he was thinking, _Yami says she needs 'our' help, but what can I do that Yami alone can't do? I mean, he can do anything I can do and then some. He's definitely a superior Duelist to me. _Yugi continued his trek and came out into the room with four doors. "Not this place again," he moaned. "Okay, now where's that three-star door." Yugi saw it and drew a card. "Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight, attack!"

But Yami noticed that there was something different with this door: three card backs underneath the stars. _"Yugi, wait!" _But it was too late as Gaia struck the door, a shield appeared and destroyed it.

"How could my monster have been destroyed?" Yugi wondered.

_"I tried to warn you," _Yami said. _"Look at the door. See those three cards, well one of them disappeared when Gaia was destroyed. They must've been face-down cards."_

_"Then the card that destroyed Gaia must've been Mirror Force."_

_"Right. Try again."_

_"Okay. _I summon Gazelle, the King of Mythical Beasts!" The monster was revealed: Dark King of the Abyss (3). "Attack!" But as Gazelle leapt at the monster, one of the other face-down cards disappeared.

(DKA: 1200-1900)

Gazelle was thrown back.

_One of those face-down cards must've powered up the Dark King to withstand Gazelle's attack. _Yugi mentally berated himself for falling for such an obvious trap. "All right then, I play Polymerization fusing Berfomet with Gazelle to form Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast!" Yugi's fusion monster destroyed the Dark King of the Abyss and the door was revealed. Yugi ran through it and found himself back in the room. "Now for the four-star monster!"

_"Yugi, wait," _Yami cautioned. _"Look." _Yami pointed to five face-down cards. _"More face-down cards, no doubt designed to destroy any monster we summon including our best ones. Let's deal with them before summoning a monster."_

"Okay, I play the magic card Heavy Storm! It destroys all magic and trap cards on the field." The level 4 monster was revealed: it was Terrorking Archfiend (4), with over 2000 attack points. "Oh man, what do I have that can destroy a monster with over 2000 points."

_"Remember, Yugi, there are ways to destroy monsters besides just attacking."_

Yugi thought he knew what Yami was talking about. "I summon the 4-Starred Ladybug of Doom (5)!" A little ladybug appeared and though its attack power was weak, Yugi triggered its special ability which was the ability to destroy all four-star monsters. _"Phew, good thing I had that little guy inserted into my deck."_

_"Yes, it was, now let's go save Tea."_

_"You got it!" _Yugi ran through the door and found himself in an ice cavern. An ice window looked out over Tea's duel with Crump. "Oh no, she's dueling one of the Big-5!" Yugi pounded on the window, "Tea, be strong!"

* * *

Tea was oblivious to Yugi's calls, she didn't even see him. "Make your move, short-stuff."

"Okay, gorgeous," Crump said laughing lewdly. "I play Volt Penguin (6) in defense mode along with another card face-down."

"Maha Vailo, attack Volt Penguin with Magic Lightning!" Volt Penguin was destroyed.

But Crump was laughing, "You walked into my trap once again, I reveal my face-down card, Revenge Sacrifice! Revenge Sacrifice lets me take the monster that just attacked me and lets me use it as a sacrifice to summon one of my monsters. Now I play Defender Iceberg (7) in defense mode!" A huge ice monster was raised from the ocean depth. "Next I'll play a card face-down and summon Penguin Torpedo (8) in attack mode!" Crump's Deck Master Ability increased its attack points.

(PT: 550-750)

"Penguin Torpedo can attack your life points directly!" Penguin Torpedo launched on a suicide run and hit Tea.

(T: 1500)  
(C: 1850)

The ice moved up to her waist. Tea looked at the cards she held: the trap card she drew and the magic card she had left. "These cards can't help me," she cried. "I'm out of moves."

_"You still have one move left," _Dark Magician Girl reminded her. _"Me. Move me onto the field."_

_"But…"_

_"I can protect you, but you must let me."_

_"All right. _I move my Dark Magician Girl onto the field." Dark Magician Girl floated in front of Tea.

"If your Deck Master is destroyed, you automatically lose the duel. But why take the easy way out when I can destroy you the fun way. First I play a magic card called Ocean of Rejuvenation which lets me bring back my old friend, Penguin Torpedo!" The penguin missile appeared again and once again launched on a suicide attack at Tea. It struck her and the ice moved up to below her armpits.

(T: 750)  
(C: 1850)

"I feel like a tall cold glass of iced Tea," Cump joked.

Yugi leaned on the ice and cried, "It isn't fair," he whined. "Tea isn't experienced enough and she's about to lose."

_"There still is a way for Tea to win," _Yami said. _"And that's by doing what we did: trusting herself, her cards, and her Deck Master."_

_"Tea, there is one card in your deck that can win this duel," _Dark Magician Girl told Tea. _"It's the first magic card you picked."_

Tea thought back to when she was choosing her deck. The first magic card she chose was called The Sage's Stone. _"But… even if it could help, it must be at the bottom of my deck! How do I reach it?"_

_"I can help with my Deck Master Ability! But first I must call upon the monsters in your graveyard!" _Ancient Elf, Fire Sorcerer, Skelengel, and Maha Vailo appeared. _"By combining the energies of your monsters, I can make you draw a card for each one." _Four cards appeared in front of Tea. _"Tea, is any of the cards the Sage's Stone?"_

Tea looked around. She saw the De-Spell card, the Polymerization card, the Gemini Elf (9) monster card and the Sage's Stone card. "I see it!" She grabbed it. "Now… if… I… can just… stupid ice… play it." The ice was making it difficult for Tea to move her arms but she managed to insert the Sage's Stone card into her Duel Disk. "Sage's Stone, activate!"

Yugi's Duel Disk started to glow. A beam of light shot out from the deck and broke through the ice wall separating them. It flew through the air and landed on Tea's Duel Disk.

The Dark Magician (10) appeared on the field.

Both Tea and Crump gasped as the familiar magician monster appeared. Tea looked down and saw that the Dark Magician card was actually on her Duel Disk. "The Dark Magician? Where did he come from? Not that I'm complaining."

"No way! There's no way you could've chosen the Dark Magician, my calculations said you would skip over it!"

"The Sage's Stone enables me to summon the Dark Magician from anywhere for one turn," Dark Magician Girl explained talking outright for the first time in the duel. The two Dark Magicians shared a look and nodded. They crossed their staffs together. "Double Dark Magic Attack!" A sphere of purple and pink energy broke through the Defender Iceberg and devastated what was left of Crump's life points.

(T: 750)  
(C: 0)

Crump fell into the water with a loud squawk.

The monsters disappeared as did the ice around Tea. Tea collapsed and fainted, the last thing she remembered was someone calling her name.

* * *

Noah scowled. "This isn't over yet," he said. "I still have plenty more tricks up my sleeve and plenty more victims to use them on!"

* * *

When Tea awoke, she saw Yugi standing over her. "Tea, are you all right?"

"Yu… Yugi? Oh Yugi!" Tea threw her arms around him. "Yugi, I knew you would come!"

"Its okay, Tea," Yugi assured her returning the hug. "I'm here now, and now that we're back together, we'll stay that way."

Yami watched this display of affection and nodded. _As it should be, _he thought.

The End

* * *

Duel Monster Database

(1)  
Name: Skelengel  
Level: 1  
Type: Fairy/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 100  
DEF: 300

(2)  
Name: Maha Vailo  
Level: 4  
Type: Spellcaster/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 1550  
DEF: 1400

(3)  
Name: Dark King of the Abyss  
Level: 3  
Type: Fiend  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 1200  
DEF: 800

(4)  
Name: Terrorking Archfiend  
Level: 4  
Type: Fiend/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 2000  
DEF: 1500

(5)  
Name: 4-Starred Ladybug of Doom  
Level: 3  
Type: Insect/Effect  
Attribute: Wind  
ATK: 800  
DEF: 1200

(6)  
Name: Volt Penguin  
Level: 4  
Type: Aqua/Effect  
Attribute: Water  
ATK: 850  
DEF: 1400

(7)  
Name: Defender Iceberg  
Level: 6  
Type: Aqua  
Attribute: Water  
ATK: 0  
DEF: 2450

(8)  
Name: Penguin Torpedo  
Level: 2  
Type: Aqua/Effect  
Attribute: Water  
ATK: 550  
DEF: 700

(9)  
Name: Gemini Elf  
Level: 4  
Type: Spellcaster  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 1900  
DEF: 900

(10)  
Name: Dark Magician  
Level: 7  
Type: Spellcaster  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 2500  
DEF: 2100  
Note: The ability to summon the Dark Magician is another of Dark Magician Girl's abilities as a Deck Master. This information comes from "Kent Regal's Deck Master Variation Reference Guide"


	8. Joey's Day in Court Pt 1

Yu-Gi-Oh! Avatar

Fanfic Chapter 122: Joey's Day in Court Pt 1: The Dishonorable Judge Man  
Episode Basis: Courtroom Chaos Pt 1

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh! Noah showed Kaiba and Mokuba the day Gozaburo brought them home from the orphanage and the hardships Seto had to endure by Gozaburo. The only thing that kept up his spirits was his Duel Monster cards and the dream that one day he would possess a real Blue-Eyes White Dragon card. Meanwhile, Yugi finally got through Noah's maze just in time to see Tea being pummeled with attack after attack from the deranged penguin Crump. Yugi hated himself for not being able to help Tea, she couldn't even hear him. With the Dark Magician Girl guiding her, Tea played the magic card the Sage's Stone. A miracle happened. Somehow the Dark Magician card was transported from Yugi's deck onto Tea's Duel Disk and together, the two magicians eradicated Crump. Yugi and Tea were reunited. I guess friendship is pretty powerful after all.

* * *

In his control room, Noah watched as Yugi and Tea were reunited. _I should've known better than to hire the Big-5 for this important task, _he thought. _How could they be out-dueled when we're in a virtual world where I make the rules? Looks like it's time for me to step in._

"Excuse me, Master Noah."

"Not now, Johnson, I'm already ticked off as it is."

"Master Noah, on behalf of my colleagues, I'd just like to apologize for the humiliating defeats suffered by Gansley and Crump. I can assure you it won't happen again."

"You're right, Johnson, it won't happen again… because you're all fired… or should I say erased!" His hand settled on a button that would erase the Big-5 from Noah's virtual memory bank.

"Master Noah, please, wait a second, just hear me out," Johnson pleaded.

Noah's finger paused over the button.

Johnson continued, "You have every right to be upset, but I can guarantee that failures shall end now. I have been analyzing the dueling strategies of all the applicable Duelists and I've figured out a strategy that's guaranteed to succeed."

Noah sighed, "Oh very well, I'll give you another chance." He turned to the screen that showed Kaiba and Mokuba. _It doesn't matter if those old fools win or not, I have who I really want right here.

* * *

_

"Kaiba Craft 3, do you read me? Kaiba Craft 3, come in! Roland, answer me!"

"No word, huh?" Mokuba asked Kaiba. "Noah must be trying to isolate us from outside contact."

"That won't stop me from trying," Kaiba said. Mokuba nodded.

* * *

"Hey Big-5, I'm all alone here, if you want to come get me, go ahead," Joey called out. Silence answered him. There wasn't even a creek of floorboards throughout the old mansion. Joey let out a growl of rage, "Am I the only one here?" He kicked the wall.

The wall crumbled before him revealing a large oak door.

"Oooh, a door. I wonder if I should knock… nah." Joey kicked the door open and stepped through to find himself back in the docking bay with the blimp. "Oh yeah, home free!" He ran inside but didn't see Yugi or the others. Actually, he didn't see anybody period. "Hello, is anyone here? Kevin? Ishizu? Anybody?" He stopped when he noticed an open door.

It was the door to Mai's room.

Joey ran inside and saw Mai lying comatose on the bed. For a moment, he gasped, and then recalled what happened.

* * *

_"You've interfered with my plans for the last time, Pharaoh, now you and your little playmates will be punished!" Using the Millennium Rod, he held the two in the air. Yami-Yugi and Harold felt like they were choking, like they were being smothered._

_"Yugi!"_

_"Harold!"_

_"I think that's enough punishment for one night," Yami-Marik said as he their bodies were thrown unceremoniously from the platform and landed on the ground near Kaiba. He turned to Joey and Mai._

_"Stay away," Joey commanded standing between the evil Marik and Mai._

_"I think you need some punishment too," Yami-Marik said as he used the ball end of the Rod to bat Joey off the platform._

_"Joey!"_

_"Now for you, my dear, I'll be taking my card back. Penalty Game: Darkness Consumption!" Mai collapsed.

* * *

_

_Hold on, Mai, _Joey thought. _I'll find some way to free you. You'll be dueling again in no time._

As Joey turned to leave, Mai's eyes opened and she sat up. Hearing the rustling of sheets, Joey turned around and almost fainted. "Mai, you're back! I can't believe it!"

"Well, Joseph, perhaps you shouldn't believe everything you see." The voice came from Mai but the voice wasn't Mai's voice. It was a deeper male voice.

Joey defensively took a step back, "Who are you? What the heck is going on here?"

Mai's form morphed into a man with a high forehead, glasses, and a three-piece suit. "I apologize for my rouse, my card." He handed Joey a business card. "Hubert Johnson, Attorney, former Chief Counsel for the Kaiba Corporation."

"How dare you try to impersonate my friend!" Joey shouted again.

"But I have a good reason to do it. You see, your presence is required at the trial of the century."

"What trial?"

"Why, the trial for the right to possess your body, of course. You see, as an experienced and cultured man, I could find many more purposeful uses for your body than you do right now. You currently are uneducated and unrefined. Don't you see, young Joseph? I'm taking you to court so I can win your body! A body is the key to escaping to the real world and since my old body was destroyed by Seto Kaiba, I need a new one. Your body would be a perfect fit for me to emerge anew and continue on my mission to…"

"Gyah!" Joey cried. "All this mumbo-jumbo is making me dizzy!"

"Then I'm doing my job."

"Talk is cheap, Johnson!"

"Care to repeat that under oath?"

"Say what?"

"Don't you get it, Joseph? You're being subpoenaed and a subpoena must be answered."

"I thought we were going to duel?"

"We are, to me dueling is like a trial. The arguments are made with Duel monster cards, and how convincing you are is made with the life points. I have won numerous cases by making convincing arguments, no matter what the truth is. So get ready, Joseph, because court is now in session!" The area around Joey transformed showing Joey that he was still in Noah's virtual world. It became a courtroom. Joey was standing at a center podium. Johnson appeared on the judge's bench. As the room formed, Johnson transformed into a burly troll. He pounded with his gavel, "The honorable Judge Man (1) presiding!"

"Man, just when I think he couldn't get any uglier," Joey complained.

"Silence!" Johnson commanded banging the table with his gavel. "We will conduct ourselves in a professional and respectful manner."

"Yeah, whatever."

"First, the court decrees choose your deck from Noah's virtual card database!" Cards began scrolling in front of Joey. I've researched your past duels so I know all the cards you're going to pick."

"So what, I'm still gonna pick them." Joey picked his deck. The deck assembled in his hand and Joey inserted it into his Duel Disk.

"Next, call your Deck Master to the stand beside you. Your Deck Master shall be like your attorney. Being an attorney myself, I will play both roles."

"That's easy too," Joey said. A man in blue and orange carrying a large orange-blade sword appeared. "Flame Swordsman's (2) been a pal to me from the get-go, and he'll be by my side this time."

"I shall serve you well," Flame Swordsman promised.

"And you can talk to boot, sweet. Okay, let's duel!"

(J: 4000)  
(3: 4000)

* * *

A/N: One of Johnson's aliases is Big-3, and since he and Joey have the same first initial, I thought a '3' would clarify whose life points are whose.

* * *

"First I'll call my Hysteric Fairy (3) to the stand." A woman with short dark hair and designer glasses in a blue business suit and white wings appeared.

Joey shivered, "She reminds me of my third-grade teacher." He drew his sixth card and looked at his hand. _The strongest monster I have in my hand is Gearfried the Iron Knight _(4) _and he has the same attack points as Johnson's fairy._

"Joey, I can help," Flame Swordsman said. "As your Deck Master, I can take my attack points and add them to another monster's."

"Perfect-o," Joey said. "I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight in attack mode! Next I'll activate my Deck Master's special ability taking 500 life points from him and adding it to my other knight."

(FS: 1800-1300)  
(GIK: 1800-2300)

"Hit it, Gearfried!" The Iron Knight charged forward and used its arm blade to slice the fairy.

(J: 4000)  
(3: 3500)

"Very impressive, you managed to master your Deck Master's special ability with your limited intelligence level. But this trial has just begun."

_This guy needs a reality overhaul, _Joey thought rolling his eyes.

"I set a monster in defense mode and end my turn."

"Yeah, you should be afraid," Joey said starting his turn. "I summon Little-Winguard (5) in attack mode. Next I'll use my Deck Master's ability again raising Little-Winguard's attack points by 300!"

(FS: 1300-1000)  
(LW: 1400-1700)

"Little-Winguard, slice up that card!" A pair of wings briefly appeared before being cut to ribbons.

"Gearfried, attack him directly!" Gearfried leapt up and cut Johnson across the chest.

(J: 4000)  
(3: 1200)

"Looks like this trial's going my way," Joey said smugly.

_Keep telling your self that fool, _Johnson thought. _I've been deliberately letting you win. The only part of the trial that matters is the verdict, which will be in my favor. _"You just destroyed my Skelengel which mandates that I draw one card. Now the prosecution calls Mystical Elf (6) to the stand in defense mode followed by exhibiting one face-down card."

Joey whistled in mock boredom.

"Enjoy your lead while you can, for soon you'll be charged with a lifetime of imprisonment in this virtual world while I'll be acquitted to the real world in your body."

"Yeah, yeah, sure, sure."

* * *

"I never want to see another ice block for as long as I live," Tea complained. "I'm freezing my… well… everything off."

"Me too," Yugi agreed. "Or at least wait for at least six months."

"Maybe we could ask Noah to drum up some virtual hot chocolate."

"And risks having him poison us?"

"G… good point, Yugi." Tea rubbed her arms trying to warm them. Yugi realized that Tea must've been really freezing, in a sleeveless blouse and shorts. Unlike him who had a jacket and jeans on. Tea finally crouched into a ball shivering. Yugi placed his jacket around Tea. "Thanks, you're a life saver."

"I'm glad you're all right, Tea, I only hope the others are faring just as well, especially Tristan and Serenity."

"I know Tristan can be a real hothead when it comes to dueling."

* * *

Tristan sneezed.

"Bless you," Serenity said.

"Gee, Tristan, I hope you're not coming down with a cold," Harold said sincerely.

"I'm fine," Tristan said though Harold and Serenity failed to notice his eyebrow twitching.

* * *

"As long as they stick with one of the others, they'll be all right," Yugi assured Tea.

* * *

Harold sneezed, but this sneeze was so intense that Harold actually staggered back.

"Bless you," Serenity said again. "Maybe it's you who's coming down with something."

"I hope not," Harold said though he did feel a little disoriented.

* * *

"I'm more worried about Serenity," Tea said.

"Like I said, if she sticks with one of the others, she'll be fine."

"It's not just that, have you seen the way Tristan and Duke act around her?"

"Uh… no, I haven't noticed at all," Yugi said in a tone that said otherwise.

* * *

This time, Serenity was the one sneezing. Three times to be exact.

"Maybe Noah's trying to infect us with a virus," Harold said trying to be humorous.

Tristan got him into a half-nelson, "Maybe you just passed your germs off to Serenity," he said throwing them both to the ground.

"Ow, ow, ow, uncle, UNCLE!" Harold shouted tapping on the ground.

"Would you two stop acting childish?" Serenity asked.

"Sorry," both of them said.

"You don't see Yugi or Joey acting that way."

Both boys decided to keep their mouths shut on that.

* * *

"Yeah, I'm sure they'll be all right," Yugi said. "Come on let's find them before one of the Big-5 forces them into a duel."

"Right."

* * *

"After today, I don't want to see another virtual tree for as long as I live," Mokuba said trying to lighten the air.

"That punk Noah is making us run around in circles because he's too scared to come out and face me."

* * *

"An interesting theory, Seto," Noah said with an amused look. "But as usual, you're wrong. And for being wrong, you deserve a punishment. After all, it's how you would've punished your opponents who got something wrong."

* * *

"Seto, look!" Mokuba pointed to a single wooden door stood in the middle of the path. "It's another of Noah's virtual doorways."

"Let's see where Noah's leading us now," Kaiba said as he opened the door.

* * *

He and Mokuba found themselves in a spacious office. Kaiba gasped, "This… this is my office!"

_"This is my office, and nobody disturbs me here!" _The chair turned around revealing Gozaburo Kaiba.

_"I know, but I have something important to say." _The present Kaiba Brothers realized that Gozaburo was talking to a younger version of Seto.

"I remember this," Kaiba realized. "It was the day I finally decided to confront our step-father."

* * *

_For months, I have been developing virtual reality technology, a revolutionary field at the time. I showed the designs and theories to Gozaburo but he wouldn't listen to reason, at least not my reason._

_"I know why you're here; you're here to talk about your invention. But it's no good."_

_"I worked a long time on that software; you just can't accept the fact that I invented something you never could."_

_"THAT'S ENOUGH!" He literally threw the papers in my face. "Actually, your designs are quite unique and your theories are sound, what I disapprove is the purpose you intend to use the software for."_

_"What?"_

_"Games, you want to turn this innovative technology into a child's play thing! We're an arms dealer, not a game company! We make war machines! If anything, it should be used in accordance with war. War is what people need, not worthless toys and games!"_

_"No!"_

_"I originally adopted you and your brother so that you could inherit the family business after I'm gone. But in order to do that, you're going to have to discard all thoughts of fun and games_

_"You're not human!"_

_"On the contrary, I'm more human then you'll ever be. Take him away!" I was literally dragged away from his office.

* * *

_

"I would never forget that day," present-day Kaiba mumbled. "Not only did my step-father shoot down my virtual video game idea, but he later stole my software and used it in his weapons of war. He called me 'not human' that day, saying that humans care only for war. But he was an arms dealer! All he dealt with was war! But at that time, I was beginning to believe him."

"I had no idea," Mokuba muttered. A flash of light returned them to outside the door. "Hey, we're back in Noah's virtual forest!"

"I wouldn't call it 'Noah's forest'," Kaiba corrected. "Whoever's helping Noah is using the same virtual technology Gozaburo stole from me. Granted, it's been enhanced to an almost extreme level, but the basic program is still the same. I have a feeling it's no coincidence. I just have to remember that everything we see here is an illusion because all these illusions are beginning to mess with my head." He looked up and called out, "Noah, I don't know who you are, but I'll find out! So come out and face me, you coward!"

* * *

"All in good time, Seto, all in good time," Noah said chuckling.

* * *

Joey looked from his hand to Johnson's side of the field. _Okay, Jerk-Man has one monster in defense mode and one face-down card. The first thing I need to do is get rid of that monster. If I do that, then I can take away what's left of his life points in one attack! _"I summon Rocket Warrior (7) in attack mode! Now, Gearfried, attack his Mystical Elf!"

"I activate my Deck Master's special ability!" Johnson announced.

"You WHAT!" Joey cried.

"Are you surprised, Mister Wheeler, did you think your Deck Master was the only one with special abilities? A foolish mistake. My Deck Master's ability is called Clear the Courtroom."

"Clear the what?"

"Here's how Clear the Courtroom works, by giving up 1000 of my life points…"

(J: 4000)  
(3: 200)

"I can destroy all monsters on my opponent's side of the field." Gearfried, Little-Winguard and Rocket Warrior all exploded. "But there's more, for each monster destroyed, my opponent loses 500 life points."

"Let's see, I've had three monsters, 500 points a piece…" Joey needed to do some finger counting to figure it out. "Oh no, I lose 1500 life points!"

(J: 2500)  
(3: 200)

"Now you see the power of attorney," Johnson said.

_Calm down, Joey, _Joey thought. _You still have control of this. _He picked out a trap card called Bottomless Trap Hole from his hand. _This trap card should help me in case he decides to summon any powerful monsters. _Bottomless Trap Hole destroys all monsters with over 1500 attack points when they're summoned. Joey placed it face-down.

* * *

"Yugi, look, a door," Tea said pointing to a set of large oak-wood doors in an ice wall.

"About time, I'm freezing," Yugi said. The two ran inside and slammed the doors blocking the cold air. "Ah, nice and warm," Yugi said. "Hey, where are we?"

"I don't know," Tea replied. "It looks like a court room. Look, its Joey!"

"Hey Joey!"

Joey turned and saw them. "Yugi, Tea, boy are you a sight for sore eyes."

Johnson banged his gavel, "Order in the court!" He commanded.

"What's going on, Joey?" Yugi asked.

"I was suckered into dueling one of these Big-5 creeps."

"You too, huh?" Tea said conversely. "Seems like nobody's safe."

"Tell me about it."

Johnson banged his gavel again, "Sit down before I have you ejected from the Court Room!"

"This doesn't look good," Yugi whispered to Tea as they took a seat in the front row of the spectator benches. "Joey has no monsters on the field and it looks like its Judge Man's turn."

"I summon Curtain of the Dark Ones (8) in attack mode and next I'll activate Fusion Frenzy combining it with my Mystical Elf." The two monsters were sucked into a whirling vortex.

Joey's finger hovered over the button that would activate his trap card. _Any monster that Johnson summons will fall right into my bottomless trap._

"Now meet Camion Wizard (9)!"

Camion Wizard had only 1300 attack points making Joey's face-down card useless.

"Next I'll activate a magic card called Sinister Justice which allows my fusion monster to attack the moment it's summoned." Camion Wizard charged forward and caught Joey in the hip.

(J: 1200)  
(3: 200)

"Joey's in major trouble," Yugi said. "As long as Sinister Justice is on the field, Johnson gains 800 life points!"

"What are you talking about, Yug?"

"The spiky-headed pip-squeak is right," Johnson confirmed.

(J: 1200)  
(3: 1000)

"Finally, I place one card face-down. The prosecution rests."

_If it wasn't for that stupid card, I would've won this duel, _Joey thought despairingly. _Now every time he attacks, he just gets stronger and stronger!_

"My magic card should be the least of your worries. I have much worse in store for you, Joseph," Johnson threatened.

To Be Continued

* * *

Duel Monster Database

(1)  
Name: Judge Man  
Level: 6  
Type: Warrior  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 2200  
DEF: 1500  
Deck Master Ability: Clear the Courtroom: Once per game, activate this Deck Master Ability and pay 1000 Life Points to remove all of your opponent's monsters on the field from the game and inflict 500 points of Direct Damage to your opponent's Life Points for each monster this Deck Master Ability removed from the game.

(2)  
Name: Flame Swordsman (Version 2)  
Level: 5  
Type: Warrior  
Attribute: Fire  
ATK: 1800  
DEF: 1600  
Deck Master Ability: Risky Transfer: Activate this Deck Master Ability to transfer the ATK and DEF of 1 Warrior-Type monster on your side of the field to the ATK and DEF of another.

(3)  
Name: Hysteric Fairy  
Level: 4  
Type: Fairy/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 1800  
DEF: 500

(4)  
Name: Gearfried the Iron Knight  
Level: 4  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 1800  
DEF: 1600

(5)  
Name: Little-Winguard  
Level: 4  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attribute: Wind  
ATK: 1400  
DEF: 1800

(6)  
Name: Mystical Elf  
Level: 4  
Type: Spellcaster  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 800  
DEF: 2000

(7)  
Name: Rocket Warrior  
Level: 4  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 1500  
DEF: 1200

(8)  
Name: Curtain of the Dark Ones  
Level: 2  
Type: Fiend  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 600  
DEF: 900

(9)  
Name: Camion Wizard  
Level: 3  
Type: Warrior/Fusion  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 1300  
DEF: 800


	9. Joey's Day in Court Pt 2

Yu-Gi-Oh! Avatar

Fanfic Chapter 123: Joey's Day in Court Pt 2: Decisive Gamble  
Episode Basis: Courtroom Chaos Pt 2

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh! Yugi and Tea stumbled upon Joey who was dueling against one of the Big-5, Johnson, a former Kaiba Corp. attorney who had taken the image of the Duel Monster Judge Man as his Deck Master. Joey got off to a big start but then Johnson turned the tables by activating his Deck Master's special ability: Clear the Courtroom, which can destroy all of Joey's monsters and take away 500 life points per monster. He then played a magic card called Sinister Justice which would increase his life points every time he attacks. The Kaiba Brothers weren't having a blast either, with Noah showing them the day Kaiba confronted Gozaburo with his idea for virtual technology. But not only did Gozaburo throw young Seto out of his office, but he took the virtual technology Seto designed and used it for his weapons dealership. The Kaiba Brothers are stuck down memory lane and Joey's locked up in a kangaroo court and he's about to be railroaded (for those of you unfamiliar with legal jargon, it means that Joey's locked into a battle he can't win and Judge Man's about to clench it).

* * *

"I find you guilty of poor dueling," Johnson cracked. "And the punishment for such a crime is a lifetime sentence in Noah's virtual world!"

"We'll see, Johnson," Joey said as he drew a card. _Johnson's face-down card is probably another trap, but I can't worry about it now. I have to get a monster onto the field before he attacks me again. _"I summon Panther Warrior (1) in attack mode!" _With 2000 attack points, Panther Warrior should be able to hold off his Wizard, but just in case. _"I also place a card face-down also. That ends my turn." _Even I'll admit it, but it's not the best strategy I can come up with, but it should keep him off for a while._

"I play the magic card Leading Question," Judge Man announced. "Adding 800 attack points to my fusion monster!"

(CW: 1300-2100)

"Camion Wizard, begin your attack on his Panther Warrior!"

"Hold on there, genius, I activate the trap card Skull Dice!" A goblin holding a red die appeared. "Skull Dice lowers your monster's attack points by the number the die comes up with. The die was rolled. A six became visible on the top. "Oh yeah, a six!"

"Take a closer look," Judge Man corrected rapping on the table with his gavel.

At the very last second, the die flipped over to reveal a one.

"A ONE?" Camion Wizard's attack points were unchanged and Panther Warrior was destroyed.

"Don't forget, my life points go up every time my Camion Wizard attacks thanks to Sinister Justice."

(J: 1100)  
(3: 1800)

Yugi and Tea shouted words of encouragement, "Come on, Joey, you can beat him!"

"It's not over yet," Tea added.

_I don't see what else I can do, the only monster I have in my hand is Swordsman of Landstar _(2), _not exactly the king of monsters. _Joey drew the magic card Graceful Dice. _Maybe my luck will improve. _"First I summon my Swordsman of Landstar in attack mode and next I'll add the magic card Graceful Dice to increase my monster's attack points depending on the roll of the die." Joey watched carefully as the die was thrown. He had to be absolutely sure it was a number he wanted.

Judge Man chuckled and banged his gavel again.

The die flipped over to a one.

"Gyah!" Joey cried. "What did I do to deserve this?"

"I've never seen Joey have such terrible luck before," Tea commented.

Yugi's only response was "Hmmm…"

"Don't worry, Joseph, I won't humiliate you severely just yet. I activate my Deck Master Ability, Clear the Courtroom!" A bang of his gavel destroyed Swordsman of Landstar.

(J: 600)  
(3: 1800)

Joey now had only two cards left: a magic and a trap card. He placed them both face-down. "I end my turn."

"Behold exhibit B, the magic card Pot of Greed. I bet Joseph wishes he had this card in his deck, it lets me draw two cards, something you no doubt need very badly."

"That's right, and I'll get it too, with my trap card: Gamble!" Joey had to activate Gamble because the conditions were just right: Johnson had six cards and he had none.

"It's a risky move," Yugi commented.

"What does it do?" Tea asked.

"It allows Joey to flip a coin. If he calls it right, he gets to draw five cards. If he doesn't he skips his next turn. And that's something he can't afford."

A holographic coin appeared. It shot up into the air, twirling around as it started its descent. _Come on, Lady Luck, don't fail me now._

_Joseph doesn't get it, I control everything in this courtroom, the outcome is mine alone!

* * *

_

Kaiba and Mokuba came through one of Noah's virtual doors to a beach. Kaiba looked around, "At least it's a change of scenery."

"But I don't want to be on a virtual beach," Mokuba whined. "I don't want to be in a virtual forest or even a virtual amusement park, I want out of here!" Kaiba turned and started to walk down the beach. Mokuba quickly realized his attitude and composed himself. "Sorry, Seto, I didn't mean…"

"Relax, if you get upset, you're letting Noah win." He looked up and called out, "If you think you can break us by toying with our emotions, Noah, then you don't know who you're messing with!"

* * *

"Oh I know exactly who I'm messing with," Noah rebutted. "A no-good cheat.""Joey can do this, he's got a fifty-fifty chance!" Noah turned to watch Joey's duel.

* * *

"Its heads," Joey announced as the coin passed his eyes.

_That's what he thinks, _Johnson said as he banged his gavel.

The coin stopped three inches from Joey's hand, flipped over to reveal tails, and landed.

Joey screamed in frustration. "It's not the end of my turn just yet I reveal my last face-down card, Scapegoat!" Four sheep tokens (3) appeared in front of him.

"Joey's always had great luck before, why is he failing now?" Tea asked.

"I'm… not sure… he is," Yugi said slowly.

* * *

Noah's eyes narrowed. He knew what Johnson did.

* * *

"I play Reinforcements of the Army to add a warrior monster to my hand. Next I'll use Polymerization to fuse Armaill (4) with One-Eyed Shield Dragon (5) in my hand so I can form Dragoness the Wicked Knight (6)! And since Dragoness is a fusion monster, I can use Leading Question to increase its attack points by 800."

(DWK: 1200-2000)

Johnson's two fusion monsters destroyed two of Joey's Scapegoat tokens.

"It's my move," Joey said.

"No it's not," Johnson said back. "Since you lost the coin toss, you have to skip your turn." Johnson ordered Dragoness and Camion Wizard to attack again destroying the rest of Joey's sheep tokens. "Now you have no cards on the field or in your hand. Are you going to give yourself up willingly or does my 'interrogation' of you have to continue?"

"No way am I giving up," Joey said defiantly. "There's no way I'm going to let a back-talking slimeball lawyer get the best of me!" In frustration, Joey punched the railing around his podium.

Bad move.

"OW! Note to self: do not punch virtual railing."

"Come on, Joey, your luck has to get better," Yugi cheered.

"Yeah," Tea agreed. "It's not like it can get any worse."

"Not one of your best pep talks, Tea." _I don't get it; I know that my luck can get crappy at times but to lose three games of chance when it was clear it was going to come up in my favor. How could my luck be so bad?_

_"Something's not right," _Yugi whispered to Yami. _"Even if it was Friday the 13th, there's no way Joey's luck could be this bad."_

_"I agree, I think Johnson is manipulating Joey's roles somehow."_

_"Are you sure?"_

_"I can sense it."_

"Face it, Joseph; I have never lost in the courtroom, one way or another I will get your body."

"Johnson must be setting Joey up," Yugi concluded. "Looks like we'll just have to intervene."

"Wrong, Yugi," a disembodied voice said. "I'll be the one intervening." A beam of light descended upon the duel.

* * *

Kaiba and Mokuba were walking along the virtual beach when they came upon a television embedded in the sand. On it, they saw an image of Joey.

"That's Joey!" Mokuba realized. "He's in a duel!"

"The Big-5 must really be desperate if he's dueling," Kaiba cracked.

"But who's he dueling?"

Kaiba saw Joey's opponent and realized it was Judge Man. "Johnson," he muttered as a forgotten memory appeared in his mind, a memory without the aid of Noah's virtual technology.

* * *

_I almost forgot, it's been such a long time. I remember one time I had to go into my father's private study. Outside the door, I could hear him talking to Johnson._

_"You imbecile," my father was saying. "You were supposed to move suspicions away from Kaiba Corp in the trial. But because of your bumbling, they're performing an investigation into whether or not it was us who caused the doctor's death."_

_"I'm sorry, sir, I was unaware of the witness. It won't happen again."_

_"Oh it definitely won't, consider your salary docked for three months. Now get out of here and try to think of a way to move the spotlight away from Kaiba Corp." I was standing near the doorway as Johnson exited in a huff. He was complaining about Gozaburo's desire for perfection and vowed to get back his reputation._

_As soon as he left, I entered the study. Gozaburo was at his desk looking over some papers, "Johnson is a fool," I said right out._

_Gozaburo chuckled, "I won't disagree with you on that but he has the ability to spin lies into the truth and he charges a hefty sum so I expect to get my money's worth. Let that be a lesson, Seto, that I won't tolerate any failure, no matter how miniscule."_

_I grunted, "I don't fail."_

_"See that you don't."

* * *

_

_Looks like once again Johnson's lying has gotten him in hot water. _Kaiba turned his attention back towards the television in time to see Noah appear in a beam of light.. "Noah!"

* * *

Yugi and Kaiba were asking the same question: "What's Noah doing here?"

Ignoring Yugi and Tea, Noah said, "I'm putting a stop to this duel!"

Everyone was shocked, but nobody more so than Johnson. "But Master Noah, I'm only a few moves away from winning this fool's body!"

"Maybe, but I don't think you deserve the prize!"

"Come again?" Joey asked.

"I know you've been using my virtual technology to tamper with Joey's dice roll!"

"So Joey's bad rolls wasn't a result of luck, it was cheating," Yugi realized.

"That's right, Yugi," Noah confirmed. "I originally brought you Big-5 into my world in order to beat Seto and his friends. And I gave you the ability to manipulate my virtual world with the single rule that you would use it before a duel, not during it. But apparently my trust in you was misplaced. How can I prove that I'm better than Seto if all my employees do nothing but cheat?"

* * *

"What's he talking about?" Mokuba asked.

"I'm not really sure, Mokuba." _If Noah wants to prove that he's better than me, why, and to whom is he proving this to?

* * *

_

"For years I lived in Seto's shadow, always trying to prove I'm the better one. I should be the president of Kaiba Corp., not him, and it's time that I prove to Gozaburo that he should've left the company to me, not him!"

* * *

Kaiba was shocked by this revelation (which Noah obviously wanted him to hear which was why he left the television right where he would find it). Gozaburo had been missing for five years! And even if he was still alive, why would Noah need to prove anything to him? Who was this kid?

* * *

_So my faulty rolls weren't the result of bad luck, it was because of Johnson's cheating, _Joey realized. _And if Johnson's been cheating all this time, then if I forced him to play by the rules, there's still a chance I could win this!_

"But Master Noah, I can't stand living in this virtual world any more," Johnson complained. "If I don't get out of here soon…"

"Save it, I'm pulling the plug on you once and for all!"

"Let him play," Joey requested. Everyone looked at him like he was off his rocker. "I've dealt with a lot of cheats over my dueling career…"

* * *

_"Let's go, kid, it's your turn!" Mai's voice brought him back to reality. Joey opened his eyes and stared directly at Mai._

_"I see through your card trick!" Joey announced catching everyone by surprise, especially Mai. "You sprayed each of your cards with different perfumes! And by smelling each card, you can tell which one it is even when they're faced-down! So you don't need to look to play your cards. That way, you can psyche the other player out!"_

_Mai gasped. "No way, how can an amateur like you see through my aroma strategy?"_

_"I have to admit, you had me buying into the whole psychic power shtick. I was too freaked out to think things through because of that. But you're not a psychic at all; you're just a big fake!"

* * *

_

_"This match doesn't count!"_

_"What's Keith ranting about now?" Harold asked._

_"He just doesn't know when to quit," Tea commented._

_"The tournament entry card he showed is not his, so therefore he should be disqualified!"_

_"Oh give me a break," Harold moaned slapping his forehead._

_Joey decided that since the duel was over, it was okay to tell them the truth. "It's true; my card was missing so Mai gave me hers. But tell me, Keith, how could you have possibly known this card wasn't mine?" For once, Keith was speechless. "Well, we're all ears, so why don't you explain yourself, Keith." Once again, Keith didn't have an answer._

_But Pegasus did, "He doesn't need to, it's clear that Keith stole Joey's card, that's why he was so certain that you would never be able to find it."_

_"Stupid rat," Harold insulted._

_"Then Keith ought to be disqualified!" Tea protested._

_"Oh Keith ought to be disqualified all right," Pegasus agreed. "But not simply for misdeeds outside the dueling ring; there was quite a bit of improper conduct during the duel that I observed too."_

_"Is that so?" Joey asked._

_"Quite so," Pegasus said, apparently now speaking for Keith. "Keith kept his set of 7 Complete magic cards beneath his wrist band. That way, he could power up his Slot Machine whenever he wanted."

* * *

_

_"So much for that luck you were talking about," Espa said. "Fiend Megacyber, attack Swordsman of Landstar now!"_

_"Not so fast, I reveal my other face-down card!"_

_"Hello, couldn't you hear me before? You can't play both Graceful Dice in the same turn!"_

_"I heard you, but whoever said it was a Graceful Dice? I'm activating my trap card: Skull Dice! Skull Dice decreases your monster's attack points depending on the roll of the die. While my Graceful Dice may have came up short, I'm betting Skull Dice will be more fortunate!" Joey was right, the demonic version of the cherub rolled a red die which produced a 5._

_"I'm on to your little scheme," Joey announced. "And while I don't believe you have psychic powers, I do think you have friends in high places." Joey turned to look at the building that Yami-Yugi and Roba's little spies are on. "Friends who are looking down and seeing every card in my hand! And somehow, they're signaling the info to you. But they made one mistake. They couldn't really see what card I had because it was partly covered by my other cards, so they just read the picture and assumed it was a Graceful Dice."

* * *

_

_"I think it's only fair to warn you," Weevil told Joey. "That you have a parasite in your deck."_

_"Huh? What are you talking about, I don't have any insect cards," Joey argued._

_"You think so? I play the magic card Reckless Parasite which brings the Parasite Paracide in your deck to life." Joey gasped as a card with green tentacles coming out of it appeared. The tentacles latched onto Panther Warrior by going directly through its back._

_"Joey, why did you include that card?" Tristan asked._

_"I didn't," Joey protested. "I've never seen that card before, unless… that kid must've been working for Weevil! He probably snuck it into my deck when I wasn't looking."

* * *

_

"But no matter who I dueled or how they cheated, they all had one thing in common: they all got their cheating butts kicked by me! And Judge Nut-Job over there will be no different. So let me finish this duel to the end."

"As you wish," Noah said and with an evil glare at Johnson he disappeared in the same manner.

"Is Joey nuts?" Tea asked.

"Maybe," Yugi said. "But now that Noah's onto Johnson's cheating ways, I think Johnson would think twice before trying anything underhanded again."

"All right, it's my move," Joey said. He drew a card and smirked at Johnson. "Oh look at what I just drew." He turned the card around to show Johnson.

It was the Pot of Greed magic card.

"Now I get to draw two cards also," Joey said mockingly. "Now I have just the cards I need. First I move my Flame Swordsman to the field in attack mode!" The Flame Swordsman drew his sword and stepped forward. "And next I'll play the magic card Burning Soul Sword!" The Flame Swordsman's sword transformed into a cutlass. "Burning Soul Sword only works if I sacrifice a monster."

"But you have none!" Johnson protested.

"Not after I play this magic card: Arduous Risk!"

"What does that card do?" Tea asked.

"It's another gamble card," Yugi explained. "First Joey will draw two cards from his deck and then Johnson has to pick one. If he picks a monster card, Joey gets to summon it to the field. But if he picks a non-monster card like a magic or trap card, then Joey's turn automatically ends."

Joey looked at the two cards he chose. One was the monster card Goblin Attack Force (7) and the other was the magic card Shield and Sword. "All right, genius, one of these is a monster card, and the other is a magic card. You have to decide which is which. If you pick the monster card, I get to summon it and sacrifice it to power up my Swordsman. But if you pick the magic card, you're home free. And this time, with your boss watching, there's no way you can cheat." Johnson stuttered a lot. "Stumped? Here, I'll give you a hint, one of them is a magic card. Which one though? Well, your honor? You get only one chance."

"All right, Joey," Yugi cheered. "Now Johnson's losing his cool!"

* * *

"That Wheeler's a fool," Kaiba commented. "He's leaving this entire duel up to chance."

* * *

"I'll choose… the card in your left hand, the magic card!"

"Are you sure?" Joey asked.

"That's the oldest trick in the book! Of course it is!" _Wait a second, Wheeler's too stupid, he wouldn't try to psyche me out… would he?_

"Is that your final answer?" Joey asked with an amused glance.

"I've acquitted murderers and thieves! I've sent victims to jail instead of the criminals! I've spent years making people believe lies were the truth and the truth was lies, you have no chance of outwitting me."

"Well if you really want to pick the card in my left hand, then I'll show you." He slowly started to turn the card around.

Yugi and Tea held their breath. "The suspense is killing me," Tea complained.

"And the card is…" Joey began.

"Wait!" Johnson cried. "I changed my mind, the card in your right hand, I pick the card in your right hand!"

Joey chuckled, "Congratulations…" He showed Johnson the monster card. "It's a monster card!"

"No!" Johnson cried. "How could I have been beaten by a lower-class in-breed heathen!"

"Now I summon Goblin Attack Force!" Five goblins wearing armor and carrying clubs appeared. "And next I'll sacrifice it to power up my Burning Soul Sword." Burning Soul Sword raised the attack points of the monster equipped to it by the number of the attack points of the sacrificed monster. In short, Flame Swordsman's attack points were increased by 2300.

(FS: 1000-3300)

"Flame Swordsman, attack his Wicked Knight with Burning Soul Slash!" The Flame Swordsman's armor became golden as the fire warrior charged forward and sliced through Dragoness.

(J: 600)  
(3: 0)

Johnson cried out in despair as a beam of light enclosed around him.

"Sorry, Johnson, but you've been dismissed," Noah's voice said as Judge Man disappeared.

"Way to go, Joey," Yugi cheered.

"Yeah, good job," Tea agreed.

"Thanks, guys, I'm just glad it's over for me."

"Yeah, but not the others," Tea pointed out. "The Big-5 are targeting non-Duelists too."

"WHAT?" Joey cried. "Serenity's never dueled before! I have to find her."

"Right, let's go."

"I just hope we don't have to go out into the cold again," Tea complained as the three left the courtroom.

The End

* * *

Duel Monster Database

(1)  
Name: Panther Warrior  
Level: 4  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 2000  
DEF: 1600

(2)  
Name: Swordsman of Landstar  
Level: 3  
Type: Warrior  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 500  
DEF: 1200

(3)  
Name: Sheep Token  
Level: 1  
Type: Beast  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 0  
DEF: 0

(4)  
Name: Armaill  
Level: 3  
Type: Warrior  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 700  
DEF: 1300

(5)  
Name: One-Eyed Shield Dragon  
Level: 3  
Type: Dragon  
Attribute: Wind  
ATK: 700  
DEF: 1300

(6)  
Name: Dragoness the Wicked Knight  
Level: 3  
Type: Warrior/Fusion  
Attribute: Wind  
ATK: 1200  
DEF: 900

(7)  
Name: Goblin Attack Force  
Level: 4  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 2300  
DEF: 0


	10. Coordination Pt 1

Yu-Gi-Oh! Avatar

Fanfic Chapter 124: Coordination Pt 1: An Old Enemy Returns  
Episode Basis: None

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh! Johnson was using Noah's virtual technology to subtly manipulate Joey's gambit cards so that the Judge Man would emerge victorious. But a divine intervention by Noah exposed Johnson's plan. Despite all this, Joey continued. With Johnson's edge gone, he was forced to rely on luck when faced with a difficult decision, a decision that ultimately cost him giving Joey the victory. You see, this is why I hate lawyers.

* * *

Appearing back in his control room after revealing Johnson's trick, Noah took his seat in a huff. "Gansley, Crump, and Johnson have all failed. Perhaps it was a mistake to hire the Big-5. They couldn't beat Seto and his allies before, so why should now be any different?"

"Looks like you could use some reinforcements," a new voice said.

Noah let out a small smile, "Ah, I was wondering when you would show up. So you want a crack at them too."

"I've got a score to settle with those runts."

"Oh, very well." Noah pulled up an image of Duke and Amara. "These two shouldn't be too difficult. But I should warn you, don't try to cheat. You know what happened to Johnson."

The man grunted and disappeared.

* * *

"This is insane," Amara muttered. "I'm trudging around a virtual sewer with a guy who's obsessed with finding just one person when there are others in trouble."

Duke stopped causing Amara to bump into him. "Look, Amara, if you have a problem with Serenity…"

"I don't have a problem with her," Amara argued. "What I have a problem with is you obsessing over her like she's the only woman in the world."

"Serenity is honest and kind, not egotistical with an attitude like some people I know."

"Really, and who do you know who matches that description?"

"Take a guess, genius."

"I was being sarcastic, why don't you just go take a…"

"Light!" Duke pointed to a speck of light in the distance. "Come on, it might be a way out."

"Fine, but I'm not done with you yet."

* * *

Serenity, Tristan, and Harold have been walking for a long while. "I wonder why we haven't run into any more of Noah's virtual monsters," Harold said.

"Don't jinx us, Harold," Tristan scolded.

"Relax, guys, Noah only wants Kaiba, right?" Serenity asked.

"That's one way of putting it," Harold confirmed. "But the Big-5 wanted our bodies in order to escape and they might do anything for them."

"But aren't they only after Duelists?" Serenity asked.

"They looked pretty desperate back there; I wouldn't be surprised if they came after you guys."

"Relax, I can handle them," Tristan said.

"Maybe in the real world, but this is their home territory, they have the home-field advantage."

"Relax, Harold, everything will be fine now that I'm here."

"Yeah, Harold, everything will be fine," Serenity assured him.

But Harold wasn't so sure. _Serenity wouldn't last in a duel against the Big-5, and Tristan's too egotistical to realize what he's gotten himself into. It's going to be up to me to protect them. Looks like there'll be no one around to protect me. Won't be the first time.

* * *

_

Duke and Amara came out into a large cavernous room. A chasm ran the circumference of the room. A single bridge led to a high bluff.

"Freaky," Amara commented.

"No kidding," Duke agreed as the two proceeded across the stone bridge to the center of the bluff. No sooner had they got there then the whole place started to shake. "Maybe we should get out of here."

"I'm all for that." The two turned to leave but the bridge they walked across crumbled. "Oh great, we're trapped. What do we do now?"

"You hand over your bodies that's what," a new voice said. A man appeared at the other end. A bridge was made for him. He was tall and had dark hair set in a single spike. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of dark glasses. He was burly, dressed in a dark business suit. He had two defining marks on him: a scar running across the side of his cheek and a bump on his forehead.

"I don't recall meeting this guy when we came onboard," Amara commented.

Duke felt that there was something familiar about him.

It clicked.

"I recognize you," Duke said. "You were one of Pegasus's guards when I went to visit him."

"The name's Kimo," the man introduced. "And I have a score to settle with your friends."

"He must be talking about Yugi and Joey."

"That's right, you kids have been a thorn in my side for a long time…"

* * *

_"Oh, no you don't!" Kimo cried as Tea, Bakura, and Tristan tried to enter. "You three aren't even Duelists, you're not allowed."_

_Tristan and Bakura tried to think of an explanation._

_"Down, Fido, they're with me," Harold vouched._

_"I don't care who they're with, they're not even suppose to be on this island! I'm calling security."_

_"I've had just about enough of this guy forcing himself into our way," Harold said. Holding his backpack in front of him, he charged forward. The backpack almost seemed to glow as Harold used it as a battering ram to plow into Kimo, the force sending the brute tumbling down the stairs.

* * *

_

_"Guess who, Gorgeous!" Harold cried leaping out from his hiding place and landing on Kimo's back. He quickly covered Kimo's eyes._

_"Why you, let go, you little piece of sh…" Kimo moved around frantically trying to dislodge Harold, who got the goon in a scissor hold._

_"Watch your language, young man, there're children in the room. Hey, if you guys want your boss in one piece, I wouldn't pull those pea shooters out."_

_Kimo backed up crushing Harold against the wall. Harold lost his grip and fell down. "Keep on trying to break in," Kimo instructed._

_"Sorry, Unicorn-head," Harold said struggling to stand up. "You won't get rid of me that easily. As much as I hate to do this, I'll have to stoop to your guys' level." Harold came in low and slugged Kimo right in the crotch. Kimo gasped and fell into a ball._

_"Normally, a situation like this calls for some catchy dialogue," Harold cracked. "But for you, I think a 'ow, that's gotta hurt' will do."

* * *

_

_Kimo slugged her in the stomach so hard that it sent her into the next room. "I'll take care of the girl later," he said strapping on his spiked knuckles. He turned towards Tristan. "Your friends are gone, and now so will you."_

_"Give me a break," Tristan groaned._

_"Oh, I'll give you a break, all right… a break in the head, in the ribs, in the knee caps."_

_"Say good night, Gracie," was what Kimo heard before something slammed into his skull. It was a metal pipe wielded by Joey. Joey clobbered Kimo two more times before the thug went down. "Well, what do you know, guess baseball was right about one thing: three strikes and you're out."_

_"Joey, you're all right!" Tristan cried happily._

_"All right? I wake up to a three-ring circus in here, what's up, bud?" Joey asked as he joined his friend._

_"It's getting intense. Those guys have already got Harold and now…"_

_"Coming through!" Harold came zooming in on a metal tray-serving cart. He collided with two guards and the momentum threw all of them to the floor. Fortunately, it was by Joey and Tristan._

_"Harold, you're okay? Tea and I thought that Kimo shot you."_

_"Lucky for me he's a poor shot." The three faced off against the remaining seven guards. "Now, let's have some fun."_

_"Quickly, grab one of the kids so we can use him for a hostage," a guard instructed. Two of them ran straight for Yugi's capsule but were blown back by a burst of magical energy. Yami-Yugi rose from the capsule. Near by, Mokuba was getting out of his capsule.

* * *

_

"I also have a score to settle with that caped clown who tried beating us outside Kaiba Land…"

* * *

_"Theme park's closed, boys," a hoarse voice said. "Why don't you come back in the morning?" Kimo looked up and saw a red cloaked figure sitting on a pile of lumber._

_"It's him," one of Kimo's minions said. "It's the one who attacked us at Duelist Kingdom!"_

_"Who are you?" Kimo demanded to know._

_"You don't deserve to know my name," the cloaked figure said jumping down. "But since you asked so politely, I'll tell you. You can call me… Avatar!"_

_"Avatar, huh? Well you're name's going to be mud after we get through with you. Get him, boys!" The guards lunged forward._

_And hit an invisible wall inches before they could reach Avatar._

_"Gets them every time," Avatar said chuckling as the ring of archaic symbols returned to his wrist band. He turned to Kimo. "Care to try your luck, big boy?"_

_With a roar of rage, Kimo charged forward. At the last moment, Avatar jumped out of the way and Kimo used his set of spiked knuckles to break the chord keeping a pile of steel pipes together. With the chord broken, the pipes tumbled onto Kimo.

* * *

_

"You runts have been nothing but misery for me from the get-go, and now I'm going to waste all of you one-by-one!"

"And how are you going to do that, genius? By dueling us? You couldn't stop Yugi and the others before, what makes you think you can do so now?" Duke asked.

"Because now you're in my domain and will be the first to fall before me." Kimo's body bulged and underwent a startling transformation into two monsters. They looked like the monster Summoned Skull (1) but they were different colors: blue and purple. "Prepare to face the Gemini Archfiend (2)!"

"So which one of you is the best?" Amara asked.

"Nice try, but considering how we're one and the same, we're equally as best."

Duke gave Amara a sour look. Amara shrugged, "It was worth a shot."

"Now prepare to lose everything you have," the twin Kimos announced. "Because it's time to duel!"

"Oh this will be fun," Amara said as she stepped forward.

"Wait a second, Amara," Duke said. To Kimo he said, "You want to duel both of us, don't you? That's why you picked a double monster to serve as your Deck Master, isn't it?"

"You're very perceptive, Duke Devlin," Kimo said through dual voices. "It would be so easy to duel you one at a time. But what fun would that be. Since I'm two Duelists in one, it's only fair to give you an equal chance."

"What are you doing, Duke?" Amara asked. "You don't even have a Duel Disk."

"That can be arranged." Kimo clapped both sets of hands and a Duel Disk appeared on Duke's arm. "Now choose your dueling decks."

Amara noticed that Duke chose his cards rather quickly like he was expecting to be the one dueling. Amara just concentrated on choosing her own cards.

The decks formed in their hands and they inserted them into the Duel Disks. "Next, you must choose your Deck Master. I have already taken the form of my Deck Master. Pick yours."

"I choose Kanan the Swordmistress (3)," Amara said. A woman with fiery red hair in green armor carrying two swords appeared behind her.

"And I choose Strike Ninja (4)," Duke said firmly.

"Let's duel!" They all shouted.

(K: 4000)  
(A: 4000)  
(D: 4000)

* * *

Yami-Marik crept down the hallway to Odion's room. _While those fools are out gallivanting, I'll take care of Odion. Only then will I truly be free from the bonds that tie me to that weakling that was once me. _He walked into Odion's room. He saw a body covered with sheets. He unsheathed the dagger from its holster and aimed it. "Good-bye, Odion, have a pleasant trip to oblivion!" He brought the dagger down. Yami-Marik kept stabbing and stabbing until he noticed something was wrong. There was no blood, no entrails, nothing to signify that it was a body the dagger struck. Yami-Marik yanked back the covers and discovered that the body was really a pile of pillows stuffed to look like a body. Yami-Marik growled, "He's not here!" He stormed out of the room.

* * *

Ishizu watched her brother's dark side from around a corner. She turned to Kevin who was doing his best to keep Odion's body upright. "He's gone," she reported.

"Man, how did I get roped into this?" Kevin wondered. He thought back to this morning.

* * *

_"Kevin… Kevin Hunter, please wake up!"_

_Kevin moaned and opened his eyes. Ishizu Ishtar was standing over him. "Huh… what is it?"_

_"I desperately need your help."_

_"My help… with what?"_

_"Last night, Tea came into my room, except it wasn't Tea, my brother's original personality had taken control of her."_

_"Can't say I'm surprised," Kevin said sarcastically as he wobbly stood up._

_"He asked me to protect Odion from my brother's dark half."_

_"Why would he ask to do that?"_

_"Odion is the only thing preventing my brother's dark half from growing stronger than it is now. If he kills Odion, he would get stronger and then not even the Pharaoh would be able to stop him."_

_"And why should I help you out?" Kevin asked. He cast a side glance at Mai. "Your family has all but destroyed mine."_

_"I know but…" Ishizu paused and then looked up at him. "Do you wish to see others go through the same ordeal you have gone through? Think about how you felt when you lost your father, think about how you felt when your mother left you, think about what happened to your cousin. Do you wish to see anybody go through the same pain you went through?"_

_Kevin thought Ishizu had a point. He sighed, "All right, what do we have to do?"

* * *

_

Ishizu ran over and picked up Odion's other arm, the first one being supported by Kevin. "Come on."

"Where can we take him?" Kevin asked.

"We'll take him to my room," Ishizu said. "Kevin… thank you, I… my family… owe you a debt of gratitude."

"Uh… sure, no problem, Ishizu."

* * *

"We have to find Serenity before those Big-5 creeps strong-arm her into a duel," Joey said for the umpteenth time.

"Calm down, Joey, we will," Yugi said calmly. "We just need to find them."

"If Serenity has the same luck as you, Joey, she would've already met one of the others," Tea commented.

"Yeah, there's strength in numbers."

The three turned and started to walk down a dirt path. "I just hope she isn't saddled with Kaiba."

"At least Kaiba isn't trying to woo her like Tristan and Duke," Tea said brightly.

"Uh… Tea, perhaps you shouldn't have said that," Yugi whispered noting Joey visibly steaming.

"Oops, sorry, Joey."

"Hey, what's that?" Yugi asked. He pointed to a cave where a speck of light could just barely been seen. "It might lead us to the others."

_"It might also be another one of Noah's traps," _Yami commented.

_"Either way, we don't have much of a choice," _Yugi pointed out.

"I'm guessing we should enter it," Joey figured.

"Not like we have anything better to do," Tea commented. The three entered the cave following the speck of light.

* * *

"To make this fair, we each will wait one turn before attacking," Kimo said. "I'll go first." He drew a card. "I summon Gemini Elf in attack mode! That ends my turn." The Gemini Elf was two females, one with red hair and one with blonde hair. They were both dressed in skimpy clothing.

"Then I'll also summon Gemini Elf in attack mode," Amara said. "It's not your cards, it's how you use them."

"I don't think he's impressed, Amara," Duke said as he started his turn. "I summon The 13th Grave (5) in defense mode. That ends my turn."

"That's your best move?" Amara asked.

"With the cards in my hand, yeah."

"Now prepare to face my wraith," Kimo said as the twin monsters each drew a card. "I play Book of Secret Arts increasing my elf's attack and defense power by 300 points!"

(GE: 1900-2200, 900-1200)

"Gemini Elf, attack her Elf!"

"Nice try, but I activate my Deck Master's special ability," Amara said.

"What, what is it?"

_I don't know, _Amara wanted to say. _But I just hope it can help me._

(K'sGE: 2200-1900, 1200-900)  
(A'sGE: 1900-2200, 900-1200)

Kimo's Gemini Elf was destroyed.

(K: 3700)  
(A: 4000)  
(D: 4000)

"Booyah!" Amara cheered. "Looks like that's my Deck Master's special ability. She can switch the attack and defense points of our monsters!"

"Nice going, Amara," Duke congratulated.

"Hey, I didn't get to be a Battle City finalist by good looks alone."

"And so modest," Duke added sarcastically.

"I end my turn," Kimo growled.

"Hey Amara, how about giving me a crack at him?" Duke asked.

"Be my guest," Amara said as she drew a card.

"Okay, it's my move." He drew a card. "I sacrifice my 13th Grave so I can summon Spikebot (6) in attack mode!" A large machine appeared. "Spikebot, attack his life points directly!" The Spikebot swung its mace and pounded both of Kimo's Deck Master.

(K: 1900)  
(A: 4000)  
(D: 4000)

"How do you like them apples?"

The Gemini Archfiend was laughing. "You fool, I've taken much worse punishment than this and some of it was even from your worthless friends Yugi Moto and Harold Kumara."

"Cry me a river," Duke said. "Well, anyway, I end my turn."

"I hope you enjoy your early lead because it won't happen again." Again, the twin monsters drew a card like they were one. "I play two magic cards: Cure Master and Serial Spell. Cure Master raises my life points by 1000 and Serial Spell can duplicate the ability of any other magic card so I get 2000 extra life points."

(K: 3900)  
(A: 4000)  
(D: 4000)

"Next I summon Three-Headed Geedo (7) in attack mode. Now attack her Gemini Elf!" Kanan's Deck Master ability kicked in.

(GE: 1900-1200, 900-1400)  
(THG: 1200-1900, 1400-900)

This time, Amara's Gemini Elf was destroyed.

(K: 3900)  
(A: 3300)  
(D: 4000)

"Now attack his Spikebot!"

"Hey, you can't do that!" Duke protested. But that is just what happened as Spikebot was also destroyed.

(K: 3900)  
(A: 3300)  
(D: 3700)

"How were you able to attack twice with one monster?" Duke asked.

"Because of my Deck Master's special ability," Kimo explained. "All my monsters can attack twice in one turn!"

"That means that he can finish us both off," Duke realized.

"This won't be easy," Amara agreed.

To Be Continued

* * *

Duel Monster Database

(1)  
Name: Summoned Skull  
Level: 6  
Type: Fiend  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 2500  
DEF: 1200

(2)  
Name: Gemini Archfiend  
Level: 4  
Type: Fiend/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 1000  
DEF: 1000  
Deck Master Ability: Double Attack: Once per turn, if there is a monster on your opponent's side of the field, you can have one of your monsters attack again.  
A/N: This is actually based on the Gemini Devil promo card, a Japanese card that was released in Premium Package 6. I'm not really sure what its real effect is.

(3)  
Name: Kanan the Sword Mistress  
Level: 4  
Type: Warrior  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 1400  
DEF: 1400  
Deck Master Ability: Exchange of Swords: Whenever 2 monsters battle, switch the ATK and DEF of both monsters at the beginning of the Damage Step until the end of the Battle Phase.

(4)  
Name: Strike Ninja  
Level: 4  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 1700  
DEF: 1200  
Deck Master Ability: Retreat of Shadow: Once per turn, activate this Deck Master Ability to remove all DARK monsters on the field from play until the End Phase of this turn by removing 2 DARK monsters in your Graveyard from play.  
A/N: According to Kent Regal's Deck Master Variation Reference Guide, the Retreat the Shadow ability is another ability that Strike Ninja has as a Deck Master. Of course, it has the Rin Hyou Tou Sha Kai Jin Retsu Zai Zen (the ability that Duke used during his duel with Big-4 in the canon show) ability too but for this particular duel, I'll use the Retreat the Shadow Deck Master ability.

(5)  
Name: The 13th Grave  
Level: 3  
Type: Zombie  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 1200  
DEF: 800

(6)  
Name: Spikebot  
Level: 5  
Type: Machine  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 1800  
DEF: 1700

(7)  
Name: Three-Headed Geedo  
Level: 4  
Type: Fiend  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 1200  
DEF: 1400


	11. Coordination Pt 2

Yu-Gi-Oh! Avatar

Fanfic Chapter 125: Coordination Pt 2: United Effect  
Episode Basis: None

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh! Duke and Amara, traveling through the sewers, came upon Kimo, the guard Pegasus used to capture Mokuba at Duelist Kingdom. Kimo was seriously upset about being bested by a bunch of kids time and time again and now he was setting out to get his revenge. Kimo took the form of the Duel Monster Gemini Archfiend with the ability to attack twice with a monster. Amara's Deck Master, Kanan the Swordmistress, had the ability to switch the attack and defense points of any battling monsters. But that seemed to help Kimo more than it did her. Meanwhile, Yami-Marik's quest to destroy Odion was hampered by Ishizu and Kevin, who spirited Odion to a safe place.

* * *

"Now you know the true strength of my Deck Master," Kimo was saying.

"I'm really getting sick of hearing two voices say the same thing," Duke said as he drew a card.

(K: 3900)  
(A: 3300)  
(D: 3700)

"I summon Oni Tank T-34 (1) in defense mode and end my turn." A tank with a demon face appeared. _Even if Kimo's monster falls under the power of Amara's Deck Master, my Oni Tank should protect me for now. But I have to keep him from summoning a monster otherwise I might not live to see my next birthday._

"Very clever," Kimo commented. "Even if I attack you, your life points will remain untouched. Or will it? I play the magic card Big Bang Shot. Now not only does my monster get 400 extra attack points."

(THG: 1200-1600)

"But it gains the ability to affect your life points even if your monster is in defense mode. Now, Three-Headed Geedo, attack her directly!" The monster fired energy bolts from all of its eye holes and hit Amara. Amara crouched into a ball from the attack.

"Amara, are you okay?" Duke asked.

"I've felt better," Amara said.

(K: 3900)  
(A: 1700)  
(D: 3700)

"Now attack his tank!" The monster attacked again but Duke's tank was able to withstand the blast.

(K: 3800)  
(A: 1700)  
(D: 3700)

"I place one card face-down and end my turn."

As Amara started her turn, Duke said, "Amara, hold off on doing any attacking for now, your Deck Master's ability might only end up helping the enemy."

"Oh don't patronize me, Devlin, I may have slipped up at the beginning, but I know what I'm doing." _Wow, I sound more convincing than I actually am. But I can do this. Okay, Kanan's special ability switches the attack points and defense points of all monsters I battle with. His three-head nightmare has 1600 attack points so all I need to do is summon a monster that has lower attack points… something like this card. _"I summon Mystical Elf in attack mode. Mystical Elf, attack his Geedo now with Holy Light!" Light was emitted from the Mystical Elf and assaulted the Geedo.

(ME: 800-1600, 2000-1400)  
(THG: 1600-800, 1400-2000)

(K: 3000)  
(A: 1700)  
(D: 3700)

"That'll teach you not to mess with me," Amara jabbed.

"Amara," Duke said exasperated.

Amara noticed his wary look, "What, I hit him, didn't I?"

"Yes, but you left your monster in attack mode which means that next turn he'll be able to attack it."

"Yeah, right, he would need to summon a monster with less than 800 attack points to beat my Mystical Elf. And even if he did, I'd just activate Kanan's special ability again."

_Perhaps, _Duke thought, staring at the blue Gemini Archfiend. _Then again perhaps not. I better get ready to be attacked again. _"I summon Dark Bat (2) in defense mode along with one card face-down. That ends my turn."

"You kids are about to feel the pain that I felt, the pain that I suffered through at the hands of Seto Kaiba."

"What's your beef with Kaiba?" Amara asked. "And why do you need us?"

* * *

_I was a loyal employee to The Big-5. I did what I was told without question. So when they told me that I would be temporarily reassigned as bodyguard to Maxamillian Pegasus, I went there without any idea of what I was getting myself into. But I didn't care, I was doing a job and I will finish it._

_When I got there, Pegasus immediately put me in charge of enforcing the peace for the upcoming Duelist Kingdom Tournament. All of his guards were to take orders from me. My word was law. Now I was the one giving the orders. And then Pegasus gave me that fateful order._

_"Kimo, bring me Mokuba Kaiba."_

_I never liked that brat from the get-go so I was glad to knock him around a little. But then Yugi Moto and his crowd of riff-raff appeared. I was at the top of my game, but after Duelist Kingdom tournament, I was a worthless piece of rubbish. Then Seto Kaiba found out what I did and then I was really in for it._

_"So, Kimo, you thought you could escape your punishment for kidnapping my baby brother and trying to kill me and others?"_

_"But Mister Kaiba, I was only following the Big-5's orders."_

_"Well you're about to discover that even following the crowd has repercussions. But I'm a fair man so I'm willing to give you one last chance to redeem yourself. You remember my virtual pod?"_

_"Yes, sir?"_

_"Well if you can survive a full days in my virtual world, then everything will be forgiven. But lose, and its game over permanently for you."_

_I didn't even last five hours.

* * *

_

"I was in virtual limbo until Noah discovered the Big-5. When he uploaded them into his computer database, a little bonus was included… me!"

Amara let out a sound of disgust, "If you're so upset at Seto Kaiba, why don't you take it up with him. Why do you have to involve us, especially someone who isn't a Duelist?" She cast a side-glance at Duke.

"Hey, I'll have you know I beat Joey Wheeler."

"Yeah, I saw it, and then Yugi beat you at your own game. So forgive me if I'm not overly impressed."

"Just because I'm not a Battle City contestant doesn't mean I'm not good."

"So why aren't you a Battle City contestant?"

"I have better things to do."

"Sure you do."

"As amusing as it is to see you two squabble like babies I have a duel to win and two bodies to gain. First I reveal my face-down card Shield and Sword which switches all monsters' attack and defense points!"

(ME: 800-2000, 2000-800)  
(DB: 1000-1000, 1000-1000)

"Next I summon my Twin-Headed Behemoth (3) in attack mode! First attack her Mystical Elf!" The Twin-Headed Behemoth dive-bombed the elf.

(ME: 2000-1500, 800-1200)  
(THB: 1500-2000, 1200-800)

(K: 3000)  
(A: 1200)  
(D: 3700)

"Now attack his Dark Bat!"

"Not so fast," Duke said. "I reveal my trap card: Negate Attack!" The Twin-Headed Behemoth bounced off a shield. "Now your attack's stopped and your battle phase ends."

"Fine, then I'll end my turn."

_Why did Duke waste his trap card like that? _Amara wondered. _It wouldn't have made any difference if his Dark Bat was destroyed unless he needs it for something._

"Amara, look, if either of us is going to have a chance, we're going to have to work together on this."

"Work together?"

"Yeah, coordinate our efforts. We need coordination with our attacks. I can't win this duel without you and I know you can't win this duel without me."

Amara sighed, _coordination, I never thought I'd be hearing that in a duel.

* * *

_

_"But Mom, I don't want to take ballet."_

_"Your cousin Alex took ballet and she loved it."_

_"Mom, she's almost five years younger than me, she still believes in Santa Claus for pete's sake! Why do I have to learn this?"_

_"Coordination, dear, you can't rush through life, you need to address situations with grace and tranquility. And ballet is a good way to do that. Because if your body is well coordinated, your mind will follow."

* * *

_

_Duke's right, we're going to have to coordinate our efforts if we're going to beat this nut job. _Amara drew a card. "I play Card of Sanctity, now we all need to draw until we're all holding six cards." Amara looked at her new hand. "I play Cure Master raising my life points by 1000."

(K: 3000)  
(A: 2200)  
(D: 3700)

"I set two cards face-down and a monster in defense mode. That ends my turn."

"All right, now I'll have a go," Duke said as he drew a card. "I summon Yaranzo (4) in defense mode. I'll also place a card face-down and end my turn."

"It's time for you to hand over your bodies to me. Twin-Headed Behemoth, attack her face-down card now!" As the dragon monster attacked, a woman sitting on a chair appeared.

"Protector of the Throne (5), defend!" Amara commanded.

(PT: 800-1500, 1500-1200)  
(THB: 1500-800, 1200-1500)

(K: 2600)  
(A: 2200)  
(D: 3700)

"No matter, I play Rush Recklessly raising my monster's attack points by 700!"

(THB: 800-1500)

"Now, Twin-Headed Behemoth, attack Duke's Dark Bat."

"I don't think so," Amara said. "Reveal trap card: Horn of Heaven! By sacrificing one of my monsters…" The Protector of the Throne disappeared into a horn-shaped shell with wings. "I can destroy one of your monsters!" An intense energy blast fired from the horn and destroyed the Twin-Headed Behemoth. "Looks like we're finally getting our act together, Duke."

"We sure are, Amara," Duke agreed.

"Nice try, but when my Twin-Headed Behemoth is destroyed, it reappears with lower poins." The monster appeared in defense mode.

(THB: 1000, 1000)

"I place two cards face-down and end my turn," Kimo's blue half said.

Amara stared at the Gemini Archfiend's Duel Disks. _Wait a second, why is it that all of the monsters had come from one Duel Disk and all of the magic and trap cards come from another? That may be our early warning system. _"Duke, I figured something out."

"Go on."

"Watch their movements. If the blue side moves his hand to his Duel Disk, it means that he's going to activate a magic or trap card. The purple one is going to summon a monster."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Take your turn," Kimo ordered.

"You got it," Amara said drawing a card. "I reveal my face-down card Call of the Haunted which allows me to bring a monster back from my graveyard and I choose my Gemini Elf, next I sacrifice it to summon Insect Princess (6) in defense mode."

_Defense mode? _Duke was confused. _Why would she… oh, that's right, I forgot, if Insect Princess attacks, her attack points and defense points will switch with whoever Kimo summons. So she's leaving it in defense mode so that in the event that he summons a stronger monster, he won't affect her life points._

_They probably think my Insect Princess is to protect my life points; boy will they be surprised when I pull out a surprise. _"Next I'll activate a magic card called Commencement Dance."

"Commencement Dance, what's that?"

"I'll show you; by sacrificing my Insect Princess I can summon Performance of Sword (7) in attack mode!"

_Maybe I was mistaken, _Duke thought warily. _Maybe she hasn't learned her lesson._

Amara caught his look, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," she whispered. "I play my final card: the magic card Mirage of Nightmare! Now during your turn I get to draw cards until I'm holding four."

"Wait a second, you also have to discard the same number of cards during your turn," Duke pointed out.

"I'm not worried," Amara said. "Go ahead and move."

"All right," Duke said as he drew a card. "I offer two of my monsters on the field as a tribute so I can summon Orgoth the Relentless (8)!" A large armored warrior appeared holding a very large sword. "Orgoth, attack his Twin-Headed Behemoth with Diamond Blade Strike!" The warrior charged forward and cleaved the dragon right down the middle. "My fifteen minutes of fame is up so I'm going to place two cards face-down and end my turn"

"You're going to regret that," Kimo said as he drew a card

Mirage of Nightmare started to glow. "Looks like my magic card is kicking in," Amara said happily. "I get to draw until I hold four cards."

Kimo's blue half played a card. "I activate Monster Reborn to revive my Gemini Elf." The purple one took over, "And then I'll sacrifice it to summon Twin-Headed Fire Dragon (9). Attack her Performance of Sword with Double Fire Blast!"

_Amara's going to lose, _Duke realized. "Reveal trap cards!" Duke's two face-down cards were revealed. "Trap card number one is Staunch Defender which redirects the attack to my monster. And trap card number two is Astral Barrier which makes it a direct attack on my life points." The attack was redirected to Duke. He was thrown almost to the edge.

(K: 2600)  
(A: 2200)  
(D: 1500)

"Duke!" Amara ran over to him. "You idiot, you didn't have to sacrifice your life points for me."

"That's okay," Duke said. "What are friends for?"

"We're… friends?" Duke nodded. Amara looked ashamed, "Guess I have a lot to learn about being a friend, huh?"

"Nobody's perfect."

"Have you forgotten?" Kimo asked. "My Deck Master ability makes it so my dragon can attack twice. Attack her Performance of Sword!"

"Just hold it right there, ugly," Duke said struggling to stand up. "I activate Orgoth the Relentless' special ability!"

"What special ability?"

"The special ability that can only be activated when both opponents have a monster on the field. First I give up 1000 life points."

(K: 2600)  
(A: 2200)  
(D: 500)

"Next, we each roll a die and the one who rolls the lowest number gets their monster destroyed."

"You're willing to leave all this up to luck?"

_If some of Joey's luck rubbed off on me, you bet, _Duke thought. "Believe it or not, I'm a dice expert and my rolls have never let me down before." A holographic die appeared. "Go, dice roll!" Duke rolled first and he got a five. "Now it's tall, purple and gruesome's turn."

"Fine, go dice roll!" The blue one commanded. Kimo rolled and got a four. Twin-Headed Fire Dragon was destroyed.

"Yes!"

"This isn't over yet," Kimo said. "I end my turn."

"Then I'll start mine," Amara said as she drew a card. Her hand compliment was now five.

"You have fallen victim to your own magic card which means you have to discard four cards!"

"No I don't," Amara said. "I chain my Emergency Provisions magic card to my Mirage of Nightmare card. Now by sacrificing it I can raise my life points by 1000."

(K: 2600)  
(A: 3200)  
(D: 500)

"Now I get to keep the cards I've drawn. Next I activate the magic card Umbilical Cable which lets me take half of my life points and transfer them to anyone I choose. Duke, here's my thanks for helping me out back there: I hope 1600 life points is enough."

(K: 2600)  
(A: 1600)  
(D: 2100)

"So does this mean we're friends?" Duke asked as he got up.

"It's a good possibility," Amara returned with a smile. "Now I place one card face-down. Take it away, Duke."

"Don't mind if I do," Duke said as he drew a card. "I play the magic card Pot of Greed which lets me draw two cards. That ends my turn."

Kimo was now panting heavily (considering there was technically two of him, it was in stereo). He drew a card. "I place two cards face-down and activate Emergency Provisions." He saw Amara gasped. "Surprised? Did you think you were the only one with access to this card? Now I send my two face-down cards to the card graveyard raising my life points by 2000!"

(K: 4600)  
(A: 1600)  
(D: 2100)

"So all our hard work was for nothing," Amara said solemnly.

"Don't give up hope, Amara," Duke said. "If there was one thing I learned from Yugi Moto , it's that victory comes to those who hope."

Noah leaned his elbow on the arm rest of his chair, his hand supporting his head. "I suppose I should help him," he said with a sigh. He typed a few buttons on his control panel.

The ground underneath them started to shake. Amara looked down and saw that the chasm around them was getting bigger. "Hey Duke, is it just me or is our arena shrinking?'

"It's not just you," Kimo said triumphantly. "Our arena will now decrease as we lose life points. Once one of our life points reaches 0, we'll all fall into the abyss!"

"We can't win either way," Amara said.

"There's always a way to win, Amara, you just have to believe."

"Another lesson you learned from Yugi?"

"Yup."

"I activate Double Sacrifice. Now by removing my Fire Dragon and Gemini Elf from the game, I can summon my Ancient Two-Headed Jackal (10)!" A giant two-headed humanoid dog appeared.

"That thing's enormous," Amara gasped.

"Fortunately for you, I can't attack with it once I summon it so I end my turn."

Amara drew a card, "I place two cards face-down and end my turn. Duke, it's all up to you."

"You've got it," Duke said. "I think it's time to see what my Deck Master's ability can do." Oni Tank T-34 and Yaranzo popped out of his graveyard and disappeared. "Okay, I removed two dark monsters from the game, now Strike Ninja show us what you can do."

The Strike Ninja leapt up and threw a net over the Ancient Two-Headed Jackal. It swung the net and threw it into the abyss. "Looks like my Deck Master can remove a monster from the game. Now, Orgoth, attack with Diamond Blade Strike!"

_It won't matter, _Kimo thought. _I'll only lose 2500 life points. I'll still have plenty left over._

"Activate face-down cards," Amara commanded. Kimo yelped in surprise. "That's right, I activate the cards Quick Attack and Rising Energy. Normally, Quick Attack allows fusion monsters to attack the moment they're summoned but with any other type of monsters, they can allow the monster to attack the moment it's played. And Rising Energy increases my monster's attack points by 1500!"

(PS: 1950-3450)

"NOOOOOO!" Kimo cried.

"Attack him directly!" Amara and Duke commanded together. Performance of Sword and Orgoth the Relentless charged forward and swung their swords, each cutting down a Gemini Archfiend.

(K: 0)  
(A: 1600)  
(D: 2100)

The remaining arena disappeared and all of them started to fall in.

_So this is the end, _Amara thought. She then felt a pair of strong hands grip her. She turned around to see that Kanan the Swordmistress grabbing her gently. Strike Ninja also had Duke. The Strike Ninja threw a grappling claw around a protruding sewer pipe. The two Deck Masters held onto the rope with one hand and their Duelists in the other. They then threw their Duelists all the way up to the tunnel entrance. Amara and Duke fell into the foul-smelling but otherwise clear sewer water. They hauled themselves up and took a look at their former arena. Their Deck Masters have vanished, like they weren't even there to begin with.

Noah saw all this from his control room. "How strange," he said. "I never programmed them to do that. Oh well, no matter. Kimo may have loss but not before giving me some rather inventive ideas." He brought up an image of another member of the Big-5. "Nesbitt, it's me, listen up…"

Amara and Duke continued to stare at the abyss where Kimo disappeared into. They looked at each other. They then let out a cheer and even hugged one another, celebrating their safety. Something occurred to Amara, however. "If that was what a sub-minion was like, imagine how tough the Big-5 must be for the others."

"I know, we have to find the others quickly."

"Hey, that's the first time I heard you say 'others' and not just Serenity."

"Well yeah, we need to especially find her because she has the less dueling experience of anybody. But we need to find the others too."

"Well I'm glad you got your priorities straight, Devlin, now let's go." The two turned and ran off.

The End

* * *

Duel Monster Database

(1)  
Name: Oni Tank T-34  
Level: 4  
Type: Machine  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 1400  
DEF: 1700

(2)  
Name: Dark Bat  
Level: 3  
Type: Winged-Beast  
Attribute: Wind  
ATK: 1000  
DEF: 1000

(3)  
Name: Twin-Headed Behemoth  
Level: 3  
Type: Dragon/Effect  
Attribute: Wind  
ATK: 1500  
DEF: 1200

(4)  
Name: Yaranzo  
Level: 4  
Type: Zombie  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 1300  
DEF: 1500

(5)  
Name: Protector of the Throne  
Level: 4  
Type: Warrior  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 800  
DEF: 1500

(6)  
Name: Insect Princess  
Level: 6  
Type: Insect/Effect  
Attribute: Wind  
ATK: 1900  
DEF: 1200

(7)  
Name: Performance of Sword  
Level: 6  
Type: Warrior/Ritual  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 1950  
DEF: 1850

(8)  
Name: Orgoth the Relentless  
Level: 7  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 2500  
DEF: 2200

(9)  
Name: Twin-Headed Fire Dragon  
Level: 6  
Type: Pyro  
Attribute: Fire  
ATK: 2200  
DEF: 1700

(10)  
Name: Two-Headed Jackal  
Level: 10  
Type: Beast-Warrior/Ritual/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 4200  
DEF: 4000  
This card can only be ritual summoned by the magic card Double Sacrifice. You must also remove monsters from the field or your hand whose total number of stars equals ten from play. This monster can not attack in the same turn it is summoned. When this monster attacks a monster in defense mode with a DEF lower than this monster's ATK, inflict the difference as battle damage. If this monster is removed from the field, it must stay removed from play for the rest of the duel.


	12. Rage Against the Machine Pt 1

Yu-Gi-Oh! Avatar

Fanfic Chapter 126: Rage Against the Machine Pt 1: Honorable Sacrifice  
Episode Basis: Mechanical Mayhem Pt 1

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh! Duke and Amara were finally able to pull their act together, coordinating their attacks with backing up the other. Kimo looked like he was going to win when he brought out the Two-Headed Jackal. But by working together, the two were able to cut down the Gemini Archfiend and win the duel. Noah was going to send all of them to the bottom of the abyss but Duke and Amara's Deck Masters saved them. Deck Masters, not just for dueling any more.

* * *

Tristan, Serenity and Harold came out into a clearing. A gentle wind was blowing.

"This feels good," Serenity commented.

"Yeah, this virtual world is actually not such a bad place," Tristan added.

"Sure, if you ignore the fact that there are five creepy old guys out there wanting to duel us for our bodies," Harold pointed out.

Tristan grabbed Harold's head and held him in a head lock. "Listen, Mister Master-of-the-Golden-Armband, if you know what's better for you, you'd keep your mouth shut to avoid upsetting Serenity."

"I'm just telling the truth," Harold argued.

"Well she doesn't need pessimistic thinking like that."

"It's okay, guys," Serenity said. "The Big-5 are only after Duelists, right?"

"Hey, that's right," Tristan immediately agreed. "That means they'll be targeting Yugi, Kaiba, Joey, Amara… and Harold." Tristan scowled at Harold like Harold was just caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"M… me?" Harold asked nervously.

"You are a Duelist, aren't you? So that means the Big-5 are going to come after you." Harold looked down. "Don't worry, big guy, fortunately I know a solution, a decoy. You be a decoy for the Big-5 while Serenity and I go get the others."

"So in other words, you two go off leaving me on my own." The way Harold said it was accusatory. Harold looked down again, "Perhaps you're right, I wouldn't want to put you two in any needless danger. Perhaps it is safer if we split up."

"No, absolutely not," Serenity said. She ran up to Harold who was about to leave and grabbed his hand. "We are not splitting up, not for any reason. Harold, remember what I said on the blimp last night? I said that you have friends who care about you And friends look out for one another. So even if the Big-5 come after you and Tristan, there's no way I'm letting anyone wander off by themselves."

Harold was heartened by Serenity's speech, but some of her wording troubled him, "Me and Tristan?"

"Well yeah, the Big-5 are probably going to come after great Duelists, right? Well Tristan is one of the greatest."

"He is?" He cast a side glance at Tristan. "Tristan, what did you tell the poor girl?"

"Come on, Harold, you know I taught Joey everything he knows." Harold was about to respond when Tristan slammed his hand over Harold's mouth. "See, even Harold agrees." Tristan moved Harold's head up and down in a nodding motion. "That's right, Serenity, with me helping you two out, defeating the Big-5 will be a walk in the park," Tristan said laughing defiantly.

When Tristan's hand left Harold's mouth, his jaw literally hung open.

* * *

Duke and Amara had been walking through the sewers for a long time and Amara pointed that out, "How long have we been down here?"

"Feels like days," Duke said.

"I'm thirsty." Amara looked down at the stream and noticed something odd. "What the…" She jumped into the knee-deep water.

"Amara, what are you doing? That's sewer water!"

"But it's clean," Amara pointed out. She scooped some into her hands and sipped from it. "It tastes like spring water."

"Huh?" Duke also scooped up some of the water and (against his better judgment) drank it. "Hey, you're right, this water is fresh. Like spring water."

Amara climbed out. "This world of Noah's seems ideal, almost like a perfect world. Come on!" She took off.

"Amara, wait up! If you ask me, Noah put it in here because he intends to keeps us here forever," Duke complained as he ran after Amara.

* * *

Noah chuckled, "Not forever, little dice boy, just until I get what is rightfully mine."

* * *

Harold, Serenity, and Tristan came upon a door much like the one Noah used to show Kaiba and Mokuba images from their past.

"I don't like it," Tristan said.

"I agree," Harold said nodding. "There's no way this was put here by accident."

"Noah must have put this here for a reason."

"Yeah, but what?"

"Come on," Serenity said running for it. "It might be a way out."

"Serenity, wait, it might be a trap," Tristan pointed out running after her.

Harold sighed, "Whose bright idea was it that I get stuck with these two." He too ran after them. "Be ready for anything, guys."

Serenity opened the door.

The three found themselves back in the hanger. But the blimp had vanished.

"We're out but where's the blimp?" Tristan asked.

"Maybe it's in a different hanger," Harold suggested.

"But how would they have moved it so fast?" Tristan asked.

"I don't know."

Serenity stepped forward, "Are we in the real world?" She wondered.

Harold looked up and gasped, "I don't think so, look!"

"Greetings, humans." A giant colorful robot descended in front of them. "I am Nesbitt, former Vice President of New Technology at Kaiba Corp. but in this world I've taken the form of a Duel Monster known as Robotic Knight (1)!"

"It's one of the Big-5," Tristan gasped.

"I was afraid of this," Harold complained.

"As the tech expert of the Big-5, I designed some of Kaiba Corp.'s most advanced weaponry and once I take one of your bodies, I'll be free to continue my work in the real world."

"You're not going to steal any bodies," Harold said. "Not if I have anything to say about it."

"You don't have a say in the matter. Now, ladies first."

Serenity realized he was talking to her, "Huh, who, me?"

"Yes, I will duel the female unit first."

"But I've never dueled before," Serenity protested.

"If you want to duel someone, duel me," Tristan said stepping forward.

"No, I'm the only actual Duelist here, duel me," Harold argued. To Tristan, he said in a stage whisper, "Tristan, you don't know what you're getting yourself into."

"I can take him."

"If you had a bazooka and a couple thousand rockets, maybe, but in a duel, not a chance." He stepped forward. "I will be your opponent!"

"No, I choose the female unit."

"And I say I'm the one you'll be dueling," Tristan said, his voice rising.

_Neither of them would last in a duel especially against a Duel Monster. But trying to convince Tristan of that is like trying to convince Kaiba to believe in the heart of the cards, so I'm going to have to aid him. _"Tristan, let's join forces and take this creep down together."

"Sounds like a good plan to me."

"Even you two units together wouldn't stand a chance against me. But I have a better idea, I'll duel all three of you and when I win three bodies for the price of one I shall prove once and for all that machines are the most powerful force to ever exist!"

_Machines are the most powerful force, _Harold copied in his mind. _Wait a second, could he be using a machine deck like Bandit Keith? This might make things a lot harder._

"No dice, bucket head, you'll duel the two of us."

"It's okay, Tristan," Serenity said stepping up beside him. "We're all in this together so we should all duel together. I'll just follow your lead."

"Uh… well… I mean it's been a while since I dueled so I might be a little rusty."

"It's too late," Nesbitt said. Everyone wearing a Duel Disk is assigned to duel.

Serenity looked down and saw a Duel Disk appeared on her arm. Tristan also had one. "How'd I get this?"

"One of the benefits of being a machine, now choose your designate decks " Cards began scrolling in front of them.

"How do I know what cards to choose?" Serenity asked.

"Just go with your instinct," Tristan advised. "But make sure to pick a balance of magic, trap, and monster cards."

_He's just repeating what Yugi taught Joey, _Harold thought. The three kids picked their cards and the decks formed in their hands. They inserted them into their Duel Disks.

"Next, you must each choose a designate monster to serve as Deck Master."

"Then I pick Goddess with the Third Eye (2)," Serenity decided.

Tristan went next, "And I'll use Super Roboyarou (3)."

"And I choose Airknight Parshath (4)," Harold said. The three monsters appeared. The Goddess with the Third Eye had yellow skin and light hair with a closed eye on her forehead. Super Roboyarou was a cyborg holding a double-ended spear. Airknight Parshath was a centaur with angel wings.

The ground underneath them started to shake. The floor panels in between the Duelists slid back revealing a fiery abyss.

"What's that?" Tristan wondered.

"If you play by the rules, you won't find out," Nesbitt retorted. "And I have one rule that I'm a stickler for: under no circumstances are you to discuss your strategies with each other."

Serenity looked at Tristan pleadingly, "How can I duel without your guidance, Tristan?"

"His guidance?" Harold muttered.

"Just believe in yourself and you'll be fine," Tristan assured her.

_If it was that easy, then even Mokuba would be as good as Yugi, _Harold thought. _But I've been in quite a few duels and I've learned that you need more than just belief to win a duel, you need understanding, understanding of your cards and your self. Plus a little bit of luck, that's how Joey's been able to get through most of his duels, I know that for certain._

_Master Noah was right, _Nesbitt thought. _Kimo lost his duel because his opponents were coordinating their efforts. But with three separate strategies and no compatibility, I will terminate them._ "It's time!" He announced as he activated his Duel Disk. The kids did likewise.

"Time to duel!"

(H: 4000)  
(S: 4000)  
(T: 4000)  
(N: 4000)

"The female unit shall go first," Nesbitt declared.

It took Serenity a second to realize he was talking about her. "Oh, okay," she said and drew six cards. "I summon Shadow Tamer (5)!" A woman with blue hair in a white dress and maroon leggings carrying a bull whip appeared.

"Serenity, that monster's much too weak to play in attack mode," Harold argued.

Serenity covered her mouth with her hand, "So I messed up?"

"No, you did fine for your first move," Tristan assured her.

_No she didn't, _Harold thought. _If this was a normal duel, then her opponent would probably take it easy on her since she's a beginner. But this isn't a normal duel, this is a duel against a computerized businessman disguised as a robot who's trying to win our bodies. _Harold sighed and rolled his eyes, _then again what do I know?_

_Serenity means well but she doesn't realize that a move like that opened her up to Nesbitt's attack. I have to give him a more tempting target so he won't attack Serenity. _"My move," he announced and he drew his sixth card. "I summon Cyber Commander (6) in attack mode."

_Has Tristan flipped his lid? _Harold asked. _You don't play weak cards with no abilities in attack mode! And if his deck is what I think it is, we're going to need all our life points if we're going to stay in our bodies. _"Now it's my turn." Harold looked at his hand. _If my theory is right, then nothing I currently have in my hand can stop him. I'm going to have to bide my time until I can summon a strong monster. _"I summon Fiend Reflection #2 (7) in defense mode!" A small bird carrying a mirror appeared.

_Idiot, _Tristan thought of Harold. _He should've played a weak card in attack mode otherwise Nesbitt will attack Serenity._

"Now it's my turn," Nesbitt said. "I summon Giga-Tech Wolf (8) in attack mode. Attack the female unit's Shadow Tamer." The mechanical wolf leaped up and bit Shadow Tamer on the shoulder destroying her. The force threw Serenity back.

(H: 4000)  
(S: 3600)  
(T: 4000)  
(N: 4000)

"A machine deck, I knew it," Harold grumbled.

* * *

Yugi, Joey, and Tea were running through the caverns when they heard a female scream. Joey skidded to a halt. "That's Serenity's voice," he realized.

"Are you sure?" Yugi asked. "Noah might be trying to trick us."

_"Or he could be trying to break our spirits like what he did with the ice wall back during Tea's duel," _Yami pointed out.

_"Either way, we're going to have to be careful," _Yugi pointed out. Yami nodded. The three took off again.

"Hold on, Serenity, I'm coming," Joey called out.

* * *

Tristan and Harold watched in horror as Serenity was flung back twenty feet behind her Deck Master.

"Serenity!" Tristan cried and started to run to help her.

"Stay where you are," Nesbitt ordered. "If you leave your assigned dueling space, you automatically forfeit."

"I'm okay, Tristan," Serenity assured him as she struggled to stand.

"You won't be for long," Nesbitt said. "Not after I activate my Deck Master's special ability, Final Artillery! I discard three machine monsters to deal 500 points of direct damage." Nesbitt discarded three machine monsters. Three cannons appeared and blasted all three of the kids.

(H: 3500)  
(S: 3100)  
(T: 3500)  
(N: 4000)

"Everyone still alive?" Harold checked as he stood up.

"I'm okay," Tristan said. "Serenity?"

"Yeah… I'm fine," Serenity said though she was panting heavily.

"I place one card face-down and end my turn."

_Okay, if I want to protect my life points, I'm going to have to do what Harold suggested and lay my monster in defense mode._ Serenity drew a card. "I summon The Forgiving Maiden (9) in defense mode."

"Gyah," Harold gasped. Serenity laid her monster in attack mode.

"Oh no, what did I do now?" Serenity asked horrified.

"Serenity, if you want to put your monster in defense mode, you need to lay it sideways on the Duel Disk," Harold explained.

"I'm sorry," Serenity said ashamed.

"Let her take that turn over," Tristan requested.

"Negative," Nesbitt replied. "There are no do overs. Now go!"

Tristan let out a frustrated sigh and drew a card. It was a magic card called Block Attack. _Excellent, now I can switch Serenity's monster to defense mode so her life points will be protected. _"I play Block Attack and I'll use it to switch Serenity's monster…"

"You'll do no such thing," Nesbitt said. "Reveal trap card: Riryoku Field. This short-circuits your magic card." The Block Attack card was destroyed and Serenity's monster remained as it is.

* * *

Kaiba and Mokuba were now in a desert. They had no idea where they were going. All of a sudden, they came upon ruins.

Ruins that they recognized.

"Seto, is that…?"

"Yeah, it's Nesbitt's old weapons laboratory. I never liked that place."

* * *

_After I took over the company from my step-father, I began to redirect it away from the weapons-making business. Part of that strategy was by tearing down all the weapon-making labs._

_Naturally, Nesbitt wasn't very enthusiastic about it._

_"Sir, you can't tear down my weapons lab."_

_"I have to, there's no room for weapons in the new Kaiba Corp. And unless you can give me good enough reason as to why you should remain on board, you're soon to follow."

* * *

_

"I wish Noah didn't have to show us this," Mokuba said. "It's almost as painful to recall as the day Gozaburo brought us home."

Kaiba looked up and called up, "Noah, you can't lead me around like a puppet forever!"

* * *

"Oh I can do whatever I want," Noah said to Kaiba's image. "And besides, I'm having too much fun to stop now."

* * *

_I have to play smart and think of a strategy to get at this guy's life points, hopefully Tristan and Serenity can follow suit. _"I'll sacrifice my Fiend Reflection so I can summon Gyakutenno Megami (10) in defense mode. I also set one card face-down and end my turn."

"A useless move," Nesbitt commented. "I sacrifice Giga-Tech Wolf so I can summon Machine King (11) in attack mode. Machine King receives an extra 100 attack points for every machine monster on the field so thanks for the boost, Unit Tristan."

(MK: 2200-2400)

"Can't you talk normal for once?" Harold asked.

"Machine King, attack her Forgiving Maiden now." The Machine King fired its fist at the nun.

_This might be a good time to activate my trap card, _Harold thought as he prepared to press the activation button.

"Cyber Commander, intercept," Tristan commanded. The Cyber Commander leapt into the path of the Machine King's attack.

(H: 3500)  
(S: 3100)  
(T: 1850)  
(N: 4000)

(MK: 2400-2300)

"Tristan, are you suicidal or something?" Harold asked. "My trap card Forgiving Light would've been able to protect Serenity without sacrificing anything."

"Then why didn't you trigger them?"

"I was, but then you had to go ahead and play martyr."

"Well I didn't see you doing anything helpful… or are you trying to eliminate us like you tried to eliminate Yugi?"

"Hey, that was uncalled for!"

"Well is it true?"

"That is not only false, but it was a low blow!"

"Well maybe you should think about others more often."

"This is why machines are superior to human beings," Nesbitt said. "Machines get the job done and don't rely on pitiful emotions to drive us. Now, for my turn I play the magic card Card of Sanctity requiring all of us to draw from our decks until we're holding six cards. Think of it as recharging your batteries. Next I'll activate Final Artillery by discarding three machine monsters." Once again, all three of them were blasted.

(H: 3000)  
(S: 2600)  
(T: 1350)  
(N: 4000)

_Serenity and Tristan are in major trouble, _Harold thought. _I need to activate my trap card on my next turn._

"I place one card face-down and activate Raimei which allows me to destroy a monster." Harold's Gyakutenno Megami monster was destroyed.

"I activate my trap card: Forgiving Light," Harold announced. "Now by discarding monster cards whose power level equals the destroyed monster, my monster can remain on the field in defense mode." _Too bad it can't attack. _He turned to Serenity and Tristan, "You see, guys, if we play carefully, we can kick this overgrown tin can to the curb."

"You're right, Harold," Tristan agreed.

"Let's do it," Serenity said. "My move! I summon Lady Panther (12) in defense mode!" This time, Serenity set it sideways on the Duel Disk. "I also switch The Forgiving Maiden from attack to defense mode."

"Now you're getting the hang of it, Serenity," Tristan said. "I play Command Angel (13) in defense mode!"

"We're cooking now," Harold said. "I summon Spirit of the Harp (14) in defense mode. I also set one card face-down." _With so many light monsters on the field, my trap card Solar Ray will take care of a good chunk of his life points. _"You won't be able to get pass our wall of defense monsters, and you don't have enough monsters left to sacrifice to use your Deck Master ability."

"That's where you're wrong. I reveal my trap card Backup Soldier which returns three monsters to my hand. Now I'll sacrifice them to activate Final Artillery." The three were pummeled with cannon fire.

(H: 2500)  
(S: 2600)  
(T: 850)  
(N: 4000)

"Next I play the magic card Pot of Greed which lets me upgrade my hand by two extra cards." Nesbitt drew the cards. "Next I activate Clockwork Knight which transforms all monsters on the field to machine monsters." The kids' monsters took on a sleek metallic form. "As machines, they can not attack or change battle position. Only monsters that were already machine monsters are invulnerable to its effect. All transformed monsters lose 500 attack points.

(LP: 1400-900)  
(FM: 850-350)  
(CA: 1400-900)  
(GM: 1800-1300)  
(SH: 800-300)

"And don't forget, Machine King gains 100 attack points for each machine monster played.

(MK: 2300-2800)

"Finally, Clockwork Knight gives Machine King an additional 500 attack points."

(MK: 2800-3200)

"It's unstoppable!" Tristan cried.

"Calm down, Tristan," Harold said neutrally. "He can't get at us while our monsters are in defense mode."

"Right, Harold."

"Wrong, Unit Harold," Nesbitt countered. "I play the magic card Short Circuit which switches all your monsters into attack mode." The battle position of all of the transformed monsters was changed. "Machine King, attack the female unit's Forgiving Maiden."

_If Serenity's monster is destroyed, she loses the duel, _Tristan said. He had to think fast. He looked up at his Deck Master. _That's it, my Deck Master can intercept the blast. _"Super Roboyarou, go, block Serenity's monster from that blast!" The android leapt in front of Serenity. "Since Super Roboyarou is on the field, I can place one card face-down and raise its attack points by 1000!"

(SR: 1200-2200)

But it wasn't enough as Tristan's Deck Master was destroyed. With it destroyed, Tristan lost.

(H: 2500)  
(S: 2600)  
(T: X)  
(N: 4000)

With a small smile on his face, Tristan said, "Serenity, I'm sorry, the truth is I didn't teach Joey how to duel, I can barely duel myself. Heck, Tea could probably duel circles around me. I just said that I was an expert Duelist just to impress you." Tristan turned to Harold. "Harold, sorry for everything I said. Take care of Serenity. I know you care about her just as much as I do."

"Tristan," Harold could only say.

A hatch opened up underneath Tristan fell into the chasm below.

"TRISTAN, COME BACK!" Serenity cried.

"Tristan, no!" Harold also cried out.

But the hatch closed.

Through tear-soaked eyes, Serenity scowled at Nesbitt. "How could you… you said he would only fall in if he broke the rules!"

"He isn't dead," Nesbitt informed them. "His mind has been digitized and his body placed in a holding area where yours will soon join it!"

To Be Continued

* * *

Duel Monster Database

(1)  
Name: Robotic Knight  
Level: 4  
Type: Machine  
Attribute: Fire  
ATK: 1600  
DEF: 1800  
Deck Master Ability: Final Artillery: Activate this Deck Master Ability and discard 1 Machine-Type monster from your hand to inflict 500 points of Direct Damage to your opponent's Life Points.

(2)  
Name: Goddess with the Third Eye  
Level: 4  
Type: Fairy/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 1200  
DEF: 1000  
Deck Master Ability: Fusion Vision: Once per turn, activate this Deck Master Ability and discard 1 Spell card from your hand to fuse 2 or more Fusion-Material Monsters to form a new Fusion Monster as if by the effect of Polymerization.

(3)  
Name: Super Roboyarou  
Level: 6  
Type: Machine/Fusion/Effect  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 1200  
DEF: 500  
Deck Master Ability: Last Minute Defense: Once per turn, activate this Deck Master Ability to set or activate 1 Spell or Trap card from your hand.

(4)  
Name: Airknight Parshath  
Level: 5  
Type: Fairy/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 1900  
DEF: 1400  
Deck Master Ability: Circle of Light: Increase the ATK of all LIGHT monsters on your side of the field by 750 points.

(5)  
Name: Shadow Tamer  
Level: 3  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 800  
DEF: 700

(6)  
Name: Cyber Commander  
Level: 3  
Type: Machine  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 750  
DEF: 750

(7)  
Name: Fiend Reflection #2  
Level: 4  
Type: Winged-Beast  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 1100  
DEF: 1400

(8)  
Name: Giga-Tech Wolf  
Level: 4  
Type: Machine  
Attribute: Fire  
ATK: 1200  
DEF: 1400

(9)  
Name: The Forgiving Maiden  
Level: 4  
Type: Fairy/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 850  
DEF: 2000

(10)  
Name: Gyakutenno Megami  
Level: 6  
Type: Fairy  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 1800  
DEF: 2000

(11)  
Name: Machine King  
Level: 6  
Type: Machine/Effect  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 2200  
DEF: 2000

(12)  
Name: Lady Panther  
Level: 4  
Type: Beast-Warrior/Effect  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 1400  
DEF: 1300

(13)  
Name: Command Angel  
Level: 4  
Type: Fairy/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 1400  
DEF: 1500

(14)  
Name: Spirit of the Harp  
Level: 4  
Type: Fairy  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 800  
DEF: 2000


	13. Rage Against the Machine Pt 2

Yu-Gi-Oh! Avatar

Fanfic Chapter 127: Rage Against the Machine Pt 2: To the Power of Three  
Episode Basis: Mechanical Mayhem Pt 2

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh! Harold, Tristan, and Serenity were forced into a duel by Nesbitt, former head of technology at Kaiba Corporation who had taken the form of the Duel Monster known as Robotic Knight. The three of them all faced off against Nesbitt at the same time but his machine deck and Final Artillery Deck Master Ability were cleaning their clocks. It didn't help that Tristan was throwing his monsters to the slaughter to protect Serenity and arguing with Harold when he didn't do anything. Nesbitt summoned Machine King and sent it to attack Serenity. With no other option remaining, Tristan sacrificed his Deck Master to protect her. Wow, Tristan must really have a crush on Serenity if he literally martyred himself for her. Either that or he's just plain nuts. I'll let you decide which.

* * *

Yugi, Tea, and Joey heard a female scream echo through the caverns where they were running.

"Oh no, Serenity's hurt," Joey assumed.

"Don't worry, Joey, we'll make sure she's okay," Yugi assured him. But Joey was already running off. "Come on, Tea."

"I have a bad feeling," Tea said.

* * *

Serenity and Harold watched in horror as the hatch that Tristan fell through Serenity collapsed to the floor sobbing, "Tristan… no… he lost… he lost trying to save me."

_This is all my fault, _Harold thought. _Tristan was right, I should've done more to try to protect Serenity, then he wouldn't have to sacrifice so much. I promised I would protect them but I failed. What's the point in having power if you can't use it to protect the people you love? It's my fault Tristan's gone, not Serenity's. _Harold started to walk over to her, "Serenity, I…"

"Stay where you are," Nesbitt commanded. "The duel is still in progress."

"Have you no heart?" Harold snapped. "Where's your sense of compassion?"

"I left all those weaknesses behind when Seto Kaiba banished me to cyber-space. Now I am perfect in every way. It is my power that will prevail over your needless emotions."

"You're wrong," Harold said. "It's our emotions who make us who we are, it's our emotions that drive us, it's our emotions that… that make us human. You think you're so perfect, but without you're heart you're nothing but an overblown toaster oven and no different from any other appliance."

"A pretty speech but futile, now it's the female unit's turn."

But Serenity had gone into shock. It didn't even look like she heard Nesbitt.

"You see, her emotions are corrupting her mind, it has disabled her ability to think."

Harold had to bring Serenity back around, "Serenity, listen to me, we can save Tristan but we need to win this duel first. I can't win this without you! Please, Serenity, help me."

But Serenity was oblivious to Harold's pleas.

"Fine, we'll skip her turn," Harold declared.

"Agreed," Nesbitt said nodding.

"While it's true that emotions can sometime be a hindrance, when used in the right context, they can be a source of great strength! And I'm about to show you!" Harold drew a card. _Perfect! _"I offer two of my monsters on the field as a tribute!" Gyakutenno Megami and Spirit of the Harp transformed into orbs of light. With their removal, Machine King's attack points dropped by 200 points.

(MK: 3200-3000)

"I'm putting all my heart and soul into this card… I summon Wingweaver (1)!" A six-winged woman with purple hair in a golden dress appeared. "Next I choose to activate my Deck Master's special ability, Circle of Light!" Wingweaver was surrounded by light particles.

(W: 2750-3500)

"This is for you, Tristan! Wingweaver, attack his Machine King with Light Spark!" Wingweaver held her hands out in front of her. Strings of light connected them and an orb formed in the middle. The orb was sling-shot at the Machine King and destroyed it.

(H: 2500)  
(S: 2600)  
(T: X)  
(N: 3500)

"Next I reveal my face-down card, Solar Ray which deals 600 points of damage for each light monster on the field!" With Wingweaver, Command Angel and The Forgiving Maiden, that meant that Nesbitt received 1800 points of damage.

(H: 2500)  
(S: 2600)  
(T: X)  
(N: 1700)

"I place one card face-down. That ends my turn!" _The best way to honor Tristan's sacrifice is to attack with all my strength and hopefully, once he's gone, Tristan will come back._

"You shall not harm me any further," Nesbitt declared as he drew a card. "Since I'm playing as a Duel Monster, I move myself onto the field." He stepped forward. "Robotic Knight is now in play."

_Perfect, now that he's on the field, I can have Wingweaver attack and destroy it._

"Next I play a magic card called Recycling Plant which lets me revive a monster and fuse it with myself." Remnants of Machine King wrapped itself around Nesbitt and he transformed into a giant Gundam-like robot. "Now I am known as Perfect Machine King (2)!"

Serenity gasped.

"I'm not afraid," Harold said defiantly. "It's still not enough to stand up to Wingweaver!"

"You are in error like most humans. Perfect Machine King gets 500 attack points for every machine monster on the field including myself."

(PMK: 2700-4700)

"Next, Clockwork Knight gives me another 500 attack points."

(PMK: 4700-5200)

"Now to destroy your Wingweaver, Mega Missile Attack!" Nesbitt's shoulder panels opened and hundreds of little rockets shot at Wingweaver destroying it. "So much for your heart and soul."

(H: 800)  
(S: 2600)  
(T: X)  
(N: 1700)

The explosion catapulted Harold into the air and he landed next to his Deck Master. He was moaning but he was alive.

Barely.

_Oh no, I can't lose Harold too, _Serenity thought. She looked at the ground. _But... if I try to help, I'll only end up messing things up again._

"I knew that worthless humans couldn't stand up to a superior technological wonder like me."

* * *

Noah, watching this fro his control room, shook his head, "It's sad," he told nobody in particular. "You know fully well you're not a machine, Nesbitt. Deep down, you're just a scared little man. But that belief will make you the victor."

* * *

"Soon the Big-5 will return to the life they once knew," Nesbitt was saying. "Except this time we won't be slaves to Seto Kaiba," Nesbitt was saying.

* * *

Speaking of which, the Kaiba Brothers were walking through the ruins that was once a weapons lab. _Destroying that lab was one of the best decisions I ever made, _Kaiba thought.

* * *

_Nesbitt was forced to watch as the last of his precious weapons making laboratories was destroyed. In what was obviously a last ditch attempt to salvage what little pride he had left, he turned to me and said, "Destroying my lab was a big mistake."_

_"I don't think so. Kaiba Corp. is a gaming company now, not a weapons dealer."_

_"A game company? Are you trying to tarnish Kaiba Corp.'s reputation?"_

_"Hardly, I'm simply turning this company around and starting on a new, more prosperous path, one without weapons."

* * *

_

"I spent months designing gaming software for Seto Kaiba and hated every second of it. I was a weapons manufacturer, not a kid. I needed to make bombs, tanks, planes, anything to be used in a war. And after I defeat the two of you, I can resume my work!" He pointed at Serenity. "Now, it's the female unit's turn."

Serenity just stared at the ground.

* * *

Yugi, Joey, and Tea were still running through the caverns. "Does Joey have any idea where he's going?" Tea asked Yugi.

"I doubt it," Yugi replied. "But at this point, his guess is as good as mine."

* * *

"If she doesn't make a move now, she forfeits," Nesbitt declared.

_No, _Harold thought as he lied on the floor. _I can't let Serenity lose. But how… how can I reach her heart? Wait a minute…_

Serenity was torn. On one hand she wanted to move, but she didn't want to screw up. And with less than 1000 life points, even a little screw up would cost Harold the duel and his body.

"Joey." Serenity whipped her head around to face Harold. His head was turned to the side but he was smiling at her. "Think of your brother, Serenity, think of the one person in the world who means the most to you."

Serenity forced herself to remember.

* * *

_"I just hope you know that I would never do anything to hurt you, sis, you mean the world to me. And no matter what happens, nothing would break the love I have for you. You're more than my little sister, you're my best friend. And if there's one thing I cherish more than life itself, it's my friends."

* * *

_

_"Now my beast is stronger than anything you have ever faced before," Odion said as Joey drew a card. From the look on Joey's face, it also wasn't a card he could use. "Mystical Beast, take his Insect Queen!" Just like Jinzo, Insect Queen was swallowed whole. Selket sprouted six legs._

_"I can't take this any more," Serenity cried and started to run off._

_"Wait!" Joey called out. "Don't leave, Serenity!" Serenity turned and stared at her brother. "I need you! I can't win this duel without you. Just as I gave you strength, you give me strength too. Please, sis, if you're not here, I'll really lose the duel, but if you stay and cheer me on like you've been doing, then I know I can come through in this duel no matter what happens!"_

_"All right," Serenity agreed and returned to the side of the field.

* * *

_

_Joey always had faith in me, I have to have faith in me too. _Serenity stood up, dusted herself out and held out her Duel Disk in an almost professional manner. "It's my move," she said.

"Look, I see a light up ahead," Joey announced. The three of them burst onto the upper catwalk of the arena. Down below was Harold and Serenity. "Serenity!"

Serenity looked up and her heart almost soared, "Joey, is it really you?"

"In the flesh," Joey said.

"Are you two all right?" Yugi asked as he and Tea appeared.

"Yugi, Tea, boy are you a sight for sore eyes," Harold said as he struggled to stand.

"Be quiet," Nesbitt snapped. "I have a duel to win!"

Yugi looked around and saw a third set-up. "Hey guys, was there a third person here?"

Harold's and Serenity's heads lowered in somber remorse. "Tristan," Harold said. "He lost the duel."

"No!" Tea dropped to her knees. "Tristan… can't be…"

Joey pounded another railing. "This isn't fair," he cried.

"Tristan lost… trying to save me," Serenity said wiping away tears.

"They need help," Yugi observed. "Joey, you should take over for Tristan."

"Oh yeah," Joey said. "One side, folks, Duelist coming in!"

"Sorry, no substitutes allowed," Nesbitt denied.

"Then in that case, Serenity, you're just going to have to beat this creep for all of us," Joey said. "Don't give up, Sis, I know you can win this! If you're really my sister, then you can put your heart into your cards and you'll succeed!"

"Joey's right, Serenity," Yugi threw in. "Just believe with your heart and you can win this."

"Illogical, her lack of expertise will prove to be her downfall," Nesbitt argued.

"That's what you think, rust bucket," Joey said. "Serenity is a Wheeler and a Wheeler never gives up until the very end. And once we choose not to give up, the duel is ours!"

_Joey and Yugi are right, _Serenity thought. _I have to put my heart into my cards. Let's see… _she studied her hand. _Tristan may not be the greatest Duelist in the world, but he did teach me a few things, I just have to remember them what he told me on the train…

* * *

_

_"Hey Tristan, could you teach me how to play Duel Monsters?"_

_"Well I guess I could teach you a few basic rules... let's see… you probably already know this but when two monsters battle, the monster with the lowest number of attack points loses. Some monsters are even so powerful that you can't summon them right away. You need to sacrifice a weaker monster first."_

_"So how can you tell how powerful a monster is?"_

_"You can tell by how many stars are on the card."_

_"So the card has stars on it? It must be so pretty."_

_"Yeah, I guess it is," Tristan said with a chuckle. "Oh yeah, you can even fuse more than one monster together but you need a special magic card."_

_"A special magic card?"_

_"Yeah, it's called Polymerization and it totally rocks."_

_"Do you have that card?"_

_"Well, honestly, no, but I've seen Yugi use it plenty of times."_

_"So sacrifice weaker monsters to summon stronger monsters and fuse two monsters with Polymerization. Got it, thanks."

* * *

_

_I think I need to fuse two monsters together, but how do I know what monsters are compatible for fusing? _Serenity looked at her hand and saw the card on the far right, a monster called Marie the Fallen One (3). _Marie the Fallen One, that sounds familiar…

* * *

_

_"I play Polymerization, fusing Marie the Fallen One and the Forgiving Maiden together…"

* * *

_

_That's right, Harold performed a fusion during his duel with Tea. And he fused the same monsters that I have. That's it, I can use the fusion monster Harold used. _"I'll tribute Lady Panther to summon Marie the Fallen One," Serenity said as a blue-skinned woman with angel wings appeared. "Okay, I sacrificed my monsters, now I need that Polymerization card."

"Serenity." Serenity gasped, her Deck Master, Goddess with the Third Eye was talking to her. "Fear not, Serenity, as your Deck Master I carry a very special power: the power of fusion. I can fuse two monsters together without the aid of a Polymerization card. All you have to do is discard one magic card."

"Okay," Serenity said and announced, "I choose to activate my Deck Master's special ability." She discarded one magic card. "Fusion Vision activate! Marie the Fallen One and The Forgiving Maiden combine to form… St. Joan (4)!" The monster that resulted was a woman monster in silver armor. She had short orange hair and carried a sword.

Machine King lost 500 attack points from the removal of The Forgiving Maiden.

(MK: 5200-4700)

Command Angel started to glow.

"I forgot, Command Angel has a special ability," Harold realized. "It can raise all fairy monsters' attack points by 500."

(SJ: 2800-3300)

_Tristan, thank you, _Serenity thought watching Command Angel glow. _You're always watching out for me, even when you're not here._

"It's still not powerful enough to take me on," Nesbitt pointed out.

"That's what you think," Harold said finally standing. His feet wobbled and his vision was blurry. "I may be too weak to even draw a card, but I can still activate cards that I already laid on the field. Reveal face-down card: Reverse of Reverse!"

"I don't recognize that trap card," Nesbitt said.

"Reverse of Reverse can only be activated if my hand is empty and I have no monsters on the field, as is the case now. I can turn open any face-down card belonging to another player."

"But I have no face-down cards!"

"You don't, but Tristan does. Now, face-down card, reveal yourself and activate!" _I'm praying to any and all gods out there that it's a card that can help us._

The face-down card that Tristan left was a magic card called Rare Metal Soul, which can increase a monster's attack points by 1000. St. Joan sprouted golden wings.

(SJ: 3300-4300)

"It's not over yet," Harold said. "I also activate my own Deck Master's special ability, Circle of Light!"

(SJ: 4300-5050)

"It's all set, Serenity, take it away," Harold said.

"Right. St. Joan, attack Perfect Machine King with Heaven's Saber!" St. Joan flew forward. Nesbitt fired his weapons but St. Joan flew right through the barrage. Her sword shined with a radiant light as St. Joan swung it and sliced Perfect Machine King right down the middle.

Normally, Nesbitt would just lose 350 life points but because Perfect Machine King, his Deck Master, was destroyed, he automatically lost the duel.

(H: 800)  
(S: 2600)  
(T: X)  
(N: X)

"It doesn't matter," Nesbitt said as flames engulfed his body. "I still have a body to use. I'll be back and soon all of your bodies will belong to the Big-5!" The flames consumed Perfect Machine King's body in an incredible explosion.

The duel was over. Exhausted, Serenity and Harold both collapsed. Joey leapt from the upper catwalk onto a stack of crates then jumped from there to the ground. Yugi and Tea opted for the safer approach.

When Serenity looked up and saw her brother standing before her, she flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around him. "Oh Joey, I was so scared."

"It's okay, Sis, you're safe now, those Big-5 creeps won't hurt you as long as I'm here."

"But… Tristan… he's still…"

"We'll find Tristan, Serenity," Yugi assured her as he and Tea helped Harold up. "His mind must still be in the virtual world somewhere and we won't rest until we find it."

* * *

In a dark room, a computerized face lit up as a monkey squeak could be heard.

_Whoa, where am I?_

The End

* * *

Duel Monster Database

(1)  
Name: Wingweaver  
Level: 7  
Type: Fairy  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 2750  
DEF: 2400

(2)  
Name: Perfect Machine King  
Level: 8  
Type: Machine/Effect  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 2700  
DEF: 1500

(3)  
Name: Marie the Fallen One  
Level: 5  
Type: Fiend/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 1700  
DEF: 1200

(4)  
Name: St. Joan  
Level: 8  
Type: Fairy/Fusion  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 2800  
DEF: 2000


	14. Insurrection Pt 1

Yu-Gi-Oh! Avatar

Fanfic Chapter 128: Insurrection Pt 1: The Trap Destroyer  
Episode Basis: Settling the Score Pt 1

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh! Enraged at Tristan's defeat, Harold unleashed his strongest monster, Wingweaver, on Nesbitt the Robotic Knight. Harold was able to deal a powerful blow before Nesbitt fused his self with Machine King to form the Perfect Machine King and delivered and even more powerful blow to Wingweaver. Tristan was gone, Harold was barely conscious and Serenity was frozen with fright, afraid that any further playing by her would result in another defeat. But Harold reminded her of the courage Joey got from her and Serenity knew that she needed her own courage to face this problem. Valiantly, she fused Marie the Fallen One and The Forgiving Maiden to form St. Joan who, along with Harold's Deck Master Ability and the cards Tristan left behind, finished off Nesbitt. But Nesbitt had already claimed a body. And if Nesbitt has Tristan's body, what happened to his mind?

* * *

Tristan climbed up through a trap door. _Where am I? _He wondered. _It looks like some sort of warehouse. But… wasn't I just in a duel? And why is everything so gigantic? I better find my way back to the others and… _Tristan looked to his right and almost freaked. A robot monkey was staring right at him. _Aww, it's just a little robot monkey… excuse me, a very big robot monkey, it's almost my size. _Tristan waved to the robot monkey and the robot monkey mimicked him. _How cute, it's almost like it's copying me…_ Tristan looked down at his hands.

They were small and metal, with three fingers and a thumb.

_OH NO, THEY MADE A MONKEY OUT OF ME! _Tristan screamed but it only came out as monkey squeaks.

* * *

Yugi, Joey, Serenity, Tea, and Harold found themselves in a warehouse district of a town that looked like Domino but they knew it was just part of Noah's virtual world.

"I'm worried about Tristan, guys," Serenity said.

"Don't worry, Serenity, we'll find him," Yugi assured her.

"We have to," Joey added. "Before one of those Big-5 creeps can use his body to escape to the real world."

"This is all my fault," Harold said. "If only I gotten my act together sooner, Tristan would still be here."

"Don't kick yourself, Harold," Tea comforted. "That kind of self-destruction won't help us find Tristan or get out of this virtual nightmare."

"Right," Harold said though he didn't sound convinced.

* * *

Kaiba and Mokuba were in the same area. They were unaware that somebody was following them.

"Hello, Kaiba!" Kaiba looked up and saw Tristan staring down at him, carrying a bokken (wooden sword). But there was something strange about his eyes; they had an almost sinister look to them.

"Hey Tristan," Mokuba called. "Have you seen Yugi or any of the others?"

'Tristan' chuckled. He leaped down from the building he was standing on and took a swing at Mokuba with his wooden sword. Kaiba pushed Mokuba out of the way.

"Tristan, what's the matter with you?" Kaiba asked as he avoided 'Tristan's' onslaught.

"I'm not Tristan," came the reply. "And I'm looking for revenge!" He swung his bokken at Kaiba who jumped back and flung a Duel Monster card at 'Tristan' but to no avail.

By this time, the others had arrived. "Are my eyes hallucinating or is Tristan battling Kaiba?" Joey asked.

"Not unless we're both hallucinating," Harold said.

"Tristan, what's going on?" Tea asked.

'Tristan' turned towards them and smiled sinisterly.

"His eyes," Serenity gasped horrified.

"I was afraid of this," Harold said. "Nesbitt must've succeeded in taking over Tristan's body."

"He's right, you know," Nesbitt told Kaiba. "I've taken Tristan's body and soon I'll take your own body as well."

"I don't think so," Kaiba said picking up a lead pipe. But Nesbitt knocked it out of Kaiba's hands then used the bokken to knock Kaiba's feet out from under him. "Farewell, Seto Kaiba!"

Something under Nesbitt's feet started to move. Nesbitt looked down to see a manhole cover being lifted, knocking him off balance.

"Phew, I thought we would never get out of there," Duke said climbing up. "Hey there, Kaiba. Yo, guys, you okay? You won't believe what me and Amara had to go through…"

"Duke, behind you!" Serenity cried.

Duke turned in time to see Nesbitt coming at him with sword swinging.

"Tristan, what the heck is wrong with you?" Duke asked.

"That's not Tristan," Yugi warned. "That's Nesbitt in Tristan's body!"

"What?"

Nesbitt tried attacking Duke again but this time Amara climbed out and tripped Nesbitt. "Man, fresh virtual air at last," she said. "Oh, sorry, Tristan."

"You pitiful wastes of human flesh have stood in my way for the last time," Nesbitt said. He started to take a swing at Amara but a little robot monkey leapt onto his face and sent him careening back.

"What's that?" Tea asked.

"I don't know," Duke replied.

"Come on, Harold, this is our chance," Joey said.

"Right." The two charged forward Joey slammed Nesbitt into a wall that dislodged the robot monkey from Nesbitt's head. Harold used his Armlet's shield to slam Nesbitt right through a wall.

"So… did we get him?" Joey asked.

Nesbitt blasted out of the hole made by Harold's Armlet on a motorcycle. He grabbed Mokuba, slugged him to knock him out and took off.

"Mokuba!" Kaiba cried as everyone went after it. Unfortunately they lost Nesbitt at the entrance of a tunnel. Kaiba turned around and saw another motorcycle. He ran over to it.

"Just where do you think you're going?" Amara asked.

"To rescue Mokuba," Kaiba responded as he revved up the motorcycle.

"And how are you going to do that?"

"By any means necessary." Kaiba took off down the tunnel.

"Since Kaiba's going after the fake Tristan, we should look for the real one," Joey suggested. They all heard some squeaking going on and turned to see the robot monkey hopping from one foot to another and pointing to his self. "I don't trust that robot runt."

"Oh come on, Joey, how dangerous can he be?" Serenity asked leaning down to pet it.

"Don't touch him, Serenity, he could be dangerous," Duke advised.

"We should just rip this robo-chimp apart," Joey added making the monkey cower in fear.

"You'll do no such thing," Serenity said firmly. "He saved Amara's life. And besides… he's adorable." The monkey appeared grateful and leapt into Serenity's arms.

"We've got more important things to worry about than some robot monkey," Joey said. "We have to find Tristan's mind." The robot monkey was pointing to itself again. "Zip it, chimp." The monkey looked down depressingly.

* * *

Kaiba gave the motorcycle another as he emerged from the tunnel onto a very long bridge. _Hold on, Mokuba, I'll save you, _Kaiba thought.

Half-way across the bridge, Kaiba discovered that a piece was missing. Kaiba revved the motorcycle as fast as it would go and sped up. He leapt across the gap.

A man was in the middle of the road. He wore a trench coat and sunglasses with a cloth wrapped around his mouth. He was also wearing a Duel Disk. "Get out of my way!" Kaiba had to leap off the motorcycle to avoid crashing into him. Instead the motorcycle spun out of control, crashed, and exploded. Fortunately, Kaiba landed safely. "Out of my way," Kaiba said again.

"If you ever want to see your brother again, you'll have to make it past me!"

* * *

Nesbitt thought he was home free with Mokuba, still unconscious. Suddenly Noah appeared and Nesbitt had to skid to a halt.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Noah asked.

"Seto Kaiba took everything from me, so this is payback."

"That wasn't part of the deal," Noah said. "The deal was I would deal with Seto while you take care of his friends. Hand him over, Nesbitt."

"But…"

"Hand. Him. Over," Noah said accenting each word.

Nesbitt grumbled and handed Mokuba over to Noah.

* * *

"I've been waiting to take you down for a long time, Mister Kaiba."

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Kaiba asked harshly.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten after all we've been through."

* * *

Mokuba moaned and opened his eyes. He was in a living room but no walls could be seen. Just a couch, a lamp, and a big-screen television.

"Finally awake, are we?" Mokuba turned and saw Noah sitting at the other end of the couch.

"Noah?" Mokuba shoved back until he was almost at the corner of the couch. "Stay away from me!"

"Mokuba, you should be thanking me," Noah pointed out. "You would've been in the Big-5's clutches if I hadn't rescued you."

"Just wait till my Big Brother comes to rescue me."

"Seto won't be rescuing you any time soon," Noah said.

"No, that can't be, he would never let anything bad happen to me."

"Perhaps you're right, but unfortunately…" He clicked a remote which showed Kaiba and the masked man on the bridge. "As you can see, Seto has his hands full right now."

* * *

"Do you know who you're dealing with?" The masked man asked.

"Actually, I think I do," Kaiba said. "It took me a little bit, but I thought I recognized your voice, Lector." Kaiba activated his Duel Disk. "Let's get this duel over with."

"Fine," Lector said waving his hand. Cards began scrolling up in front of Kaiba. "First, choose your deck from Noah's card database." As Kaiba picked his cards, he kept looking around like he was looking for one particular card. "Oh yeah, and don't bother searching for your God Card, they're outlawed in the Virtual Wars."

"I was the number one Duelist way before I got my Egyptian God Card. I can beat you with or without it."

"You're going to regret saying that, Mister Kaiba," Lector said. "Now choose your Deck Master."

"My Deck Master will be Lord of Dragons (1)." A human wearing dragon skeleton for armor appeared.

"You know what my Deck Master is?"

"No, and frankly, I don't care, I'll crush you anyway."

"Time to duel," they both said.

(K: 4000)  
(L: 4000)

"I'll start things off by laying a monster in defense mode and two cards face-down."

"Then I'll summon Spear Dragon (2) in attack mode. Spear Dragon, attack his face-down card with Cyclone Burst!" A small whirlwind came out of the long-nose dragon's mouth and destroyed the face-down card.

"You just destroyed my Hiro's Shadow Scout (3) which means you have to draw three cards and discard any magic cards among them."

Kaiba didn't seem to care as he drew three cards and deposited the two magic cards. "It doesn't matter, because you still lose 1400 life points."

"But how? My monster was in defense mode!"

"It doesn't matter, Spear Dragon can affect your life points even if the monster's in defense mode."

(K: 4000)  
(L: 2600)

"Next I place one card face-down." _Soon I'll activate my Crush Card trap card and then this duel will really be over._

"I choose to activate my trap card," Lector said "Solemn Wishes. Now every time I draw a card, I gain 500 life points."

_Enjoy it while you can, _Kaiba thought. _Soon it will be all over for you._

"I set another monster in defense mode and set another card face-down. That ends my turn."

_That's strange, he didn't attack me, _Kaiba thought. _He must know that Spear Dragon changes into defense mode after it attacks. And its defense points are 0 so it won't be too hard to attack. So why didn't he attack it? _"My move," Kaiba said as he drew a card. "I summon my Giant Germ (4) in defense mode and switch my Spear Dragon to attack mode. Spear Dragon, attack his face-down card…"

"Not so fast, Mister Kaiba," Lector said revealing one of his face-down cards. "Reveal trap card: Mask of Perplexity!" A mask attached itself to Kaiba's face. "Mask of Perplexity blinds you so that you don't know what card you're attacking."

Kaiba struggled to get the mask off but he couldn't. And it was hard to see. He couldn't tell if the black blur he was staring at was Lector's face-down monster card or one of his own monsters. "Spear Dragon, Cyclone Burst attack now!"

The mask faded, his vision cleared.

He had attacked his Giant Germ.

(K: 2200)  
(L: 2600)

"Looks like you attacked your own monster," Lector said laughing.

Kaiba also laughed, "Precisely what I wanted to do."

"What?"

"I wanted to destroy my Giant Germ so I could activate my Crush Card virus!"

Lector raised his glasses. A red laser beam lanced out and destroyed the Crush Card. Lector laughed. "Now you see what my Deck Master is."

Kaiba scowled, "There's only one monster I know of with that kind of firepower."

"That's right," Lector said throwing off his disguise. Underneath, his head was bald and he wore red goggles. A metal mask with a devilish mouth carved into it covered his mouth. He was dressed in a black and green gown. "Meet the all-mighty Jinzo (5)!"

"I should've known," Kaiba grumped.

"That's right and with Jinzo as my Deck Master, you can't use any of your trap cards! I know you, Mister Kaiba, and I knew you would rely on that Crush Card trap. As Gozaburo's right-hand man, I not only helped run Kaiba Corp., but I helped raise you and your worthless brother. But when you disgraced Gozaburo, you took away everything I worked so hard to achieve. I was next in line to run Kaiba Corp. but then you weaseled your way up to the top. But I suppose part of that blame should rest on Gozaburo because he gave you the opportunity on your fourteenth birthday."

* * *

_On your birthday, Gozaburo called both of you into the dining room. "Seto," he said. "Today your formal training ends. It's time for you to start learning lessons in the real world."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"Hobson, bring in the boy's 'gift.'"_

_Your eyes literally lit up upon seeing the ten million dollars that was your gift. "Is this for me?"_

_"Now, now, you should know that everything comes with a price. In a year's time, you must use that ten million to pay me back ten times that amount. Lector, give the boy the contract."_

_"Yes, sir."_

_"This contract basically states what I just told you. If you can pay me ten times that amount in a year time, you earn the right to call yourself a Kaiba. But fail, and it's back to the Orphanage for both of you."_

_"I accept your terms."_

_"My assistant Lector will be on hand to help you out. He'll be the only one allowed. Seek help from anywhere else and you automatically fail."_

_"Like I told you before, I never fail!"

* * *

_

_I must admit, Mister Kaiba, you surprised me by jumping into the task. I listened in as you set out 100 Duel Monster cards, half face-up and half face-down._

_"How are you going to do it, Seto? I mean turning ten million into a hundred million seems impossible."_

_"Nothing's impossible, Mokuba, this is just like another game."_

_"How so?"_

_"Like a game, it has rules and goals and you must find the best way to achieve that goal using those rules."_

_"But how are you going to do it?"_

_"I'll show you. Now let's say these one hundred Duel Monster cards represent the pieces of a company. The trick is to own more pieces than your opponent, or in this case, have more cards."_

_"So how many cards do you need?"_

_"The magic number is 51," you said turning over one of the face-down cards. "Nobody can say they have more than you when you own 51 out of 100. Lector, take the ten million and buy 51 of a company."_

_"Which company?"_

_"Any company, just so long as they value their workers."

* * *

_

_Gozaburo ordered me to assist you and I wasn't about to disobey him. So I found a worthless company and immediately brought 51 of it, just like you said._

_"Sir, I found a company that might fit what you're looking for."_

_"The Faye Company, huh? According to this readout, they don't make a whole lot of money but they might give me all the money I need."_

_"How are you going to convince them to give you the money, Seto?"_

_"Simple, Mokuba, by making their president run things my way."_

_The three of us paid a little visit to The Faye Company. Naturally, the President was more than a little upset when you made him an offer._

_"I can't believe what I'm hearing! You want me to buy back my own company for ten times the amount you paid for it?"_

_"I'd say my offer is pretty generous, wouldn't you, sir?"_

_"This is blackmail!"_

_"No, this is business. Now if you don't care about whether or not your employees work…"_

_"No, no, wait, I'll do it, I'll pay you what you want."

* * *

_

"You got all the credit for that business transaction."

"Well of course I did," Kaiba said like it was a stupid comment. "It was my idea, you just followed orders. That's why you could never run Kaiba Corp."

"Oh I will be running Kaiba Corp., after I acquire your body."

Kaiba just let out a grunt. "By destroying my Giant Germ, you activated its effect allowing me to summon another one in its place." A second Giant Germ appeared next to his Spear Dragon.

"You're just delaying the inevitable, Mister Kaiba, with Jinzo as my Deck Master, all of your trap cards are useless. One third of your deck has been destroyed and nobody can win a duel on monsters alone."

"I won't lose," Kaiba simply declared.

"It's now my move and I gain 500 life points because of Solemn Wishes."

(K: 2600)  
(L: 3100)

"I also place two cards face-down and end my turn."

"Spear Dragon, attack his face-down card with Cyclone Burst!" This time, Lector's face-down monster was revealed.

Cyber Jar (6).

"You flipped over my Cyber Jar which destroys all monsters on the field." Spear Dragon and Giant Germ were both destroyed along with Cyber Jar. "Next we must each pick up five cards and special summon any monsters with four stars or lower."

"Fine, I'll summon Vorse Raider (7) and Twin-Headed Behemoth!"

"And I'll summon my Injection Fairy Lily (8) in attack mode." Injection Fairy Lily was a woman with pink hair and wings riding on top of a giant hypodermic needle. Lector still lost life points from Spear Dragon's effect.

(K: 2600)  
(L: 2100)

"It's my move and I take 500 life points thanks to Solemn Wishes." Just like the first couple of times, a gentle rain of light fell on him.

(K: 2600)  
(L: 2600)

"Next I activate the magic card Watch Tranquilizer." A watch appeared on Lector's wrist. "Watch Tranquilizer drains a monster of attack points equal to one hundred times its level." He fired the dart at Vorse Raider. Since Vorse Raider was a four-star monster, it loses 400 attack points.

(VR: 1900-1500)

_Lector's Injection Fairy Lily is still weaker, _Kaiba thought.

"Now I'll activate Lily's special ability. By paying 2000 life points…"

(K: 2600)  
(L: 600)

"I'm able to raise Lily's attack points by 3000!"

(IFL: 400-3400)

"Lily, attack his Vorse Raider now!" Lily stabbed her needle into Vorse Raider's neck and destroyed it.

(K: 700)  
(L: 600)

"I reveal my face-down card, Sebek's Blessing which lets me raise my life points by the amount you just lost."

(K: 700)  
(L: 2500)

"I set a monster in defense mode and end my turn."

Kaiba drew a card and stared at Injection Fairy Lily. _I've conquered every challenge life has ever gave me, _he thought. _And this duel will be no exception. _"I set a monster in defense mode."

"I activate my trap card," Lector announced. "Life-Absorbing Machine which raises my life points by an amount equal to half of what I paid last turn."

(K: 700)  
(L: 3500)

"Then I'll sacrifice my face-down monster to summon my ultimate weapon: Satellite Cannon (9)!" A large rocket appeared and shot up to the sky.

* * *

Meanwhile, Yugi and his friends were driving down the bridge in a three-wheeled pick-up truck they found. Joey was driving with Amara in the passenger's seat. The others were packed into the truck bed.

"Good thing this virtual pick-up truck was nearby," Yugi said.

"Yeah, but if I see a spiky-haired guy on a motorcycle and a burly black guy with a gun for an arm, I'm out of here," Amara cracked.

Joey slammed on the breaks causing the passengers in back to topple over each other. Tea fell across Yugi's lap and Harold landed on both of them.Duke caught Serenity before she went over the edge. Obviously this made Tristan upset who did nothing to hide his feelings regarding it.

"Why'd you stop, Joey?" Yugi asked.

"Look up there," Joey said pointing to a missile that was rapidly ascending.

"What's that?" Yugi wondered.

"I don't know, but I don't like the looks of it," Joey commented.

To Be Continued

* * *

Duel Monster Database

(1)  
Name: Lord of Dragons (Lord of D.)  
Level: 4  
Type: Spellcaster/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 1200  
DEF: 1100  
Deck Master Ability:  
Offerings to the King: Once per turn, you may activate this Deck Master Ability and tribute 2 monsters to the Graveyard to play up to 2 Dragon-Type monsters from your hand as a Special Summons.  
Dragon Backup: Once per turn, you may activate this Deck Master Ability and pay 500 life points to Special Summon 1 Dragon-Type monster from your hand. If the Dragon-Type monster is Level 5 or higher, you must still offer monsters as a tribute in order to summon it.

(2)  
Name: Spear Dragon  
Level: 4  
Type: Dragon/Effect  
Attribute: Wind  
ATK: 1900  
DEF: 0

(3)  
Name: Hiro's Shadow Scout  
Level: 2  
Type: Fiend/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 650  
DEF: 500

(4)  
Name: Giant Germ  
Level: 2  
Type: Fiend/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 1000  
DEF: 100

(5)  
Name: Jinzo  
Level: 6  
Type: Machine/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 2400  
DEF: 1500  
Deck Master Abilities:  
Electromagnetic Seal: Once per turn activate this Deck Master, discard 1 card from your hand and pay half your Life Points when your opponent either activates a Spell or Trap or summons a monster (including special summons) to negate the action and destroy the cards involved.  
Trap Paralysis: All Trap cards can not be activated. The effect of all face-up Trap cards are also negated.

(6)  
Name: Cyber Jar  
Level: 3  
Type: Rock/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 900  
DEF: 900

(7)  
Name: Vorse Raider  
Level: 4  
Type: Beast-Warrior  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 1900  
DEF: 1200

(8)  
Name: Injection Fairy Lily  
Level: 3  
Type: Fairy/Effect  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 400  
DEF: 1500

(9)  
Name: Satellite Cannon  
Level: 5  
Type: Machine/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 0  
DEF: 1850


	15. Insurrection Pt 2

Yu-Gi-Oh! Avatar

Fanfic Chapter 129: Insurrection Pt 2: Past Discretions  
Episode Basis: Settling the Score Pt 2

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh! Disguised as Tristan, Nesbitt attacked Kaiba and kidnapped Mokuba. But before Nesbitt could get away with his prize, Noah appeared and demanded Mokuba be handed over to him. Kaiba, in pursuit of Nesbitt, came upon a mysterious man who turned out to be Lector as the Duel Monster Jinzo (you can guess what his special ability is) who challenged Kaiba to a duel. As Gozaburo's second-in-command, Lector believed he should've been the one to take over Kaiba Corp. and not Seto. Lector was gouging on Life Points and using them to power up his Injection Fairy Lily and then shot a rocket into space. Whatever it does, you can bet it is bad news for Kaiba. So if Nesbitt was in Tristan's body, where was Tristan's mind? Inside the body of a robot monkey. That's got to be a blow to his ego.

* * *

Yugi and his friends watched the smoke trail from the launched rocket. "What the heck was that all about?" Amara asked.

"Looked like some sort of rocket," Joey commented.

"Launched by the Big-5?" Yugi guessed.

"Maybe," Tea agreed.

_One good thing about being a robot monkey is that you get to hang out in Serenity's arms all day, _Tristan thought as he absent mindedly scratched his head.

"Guys, have you forgotten?" Serenity asked. "We're supposed to be looking for Tristan."

_She's so cute when she acts tough, especially when all she can think about is finding me. _Tristan unintentionally flicked a switch on the back of his head. _I'm much better than that Romeo wanna-be Duke Devlin._

Everyone turned towards Serenity as the robot monkey started speaking in fragments, "Better… wannabe… Devlin." Tristan kept flicking the button that apparently allowed him to project his words. "Stuck… monkey… longer… bananas… eating…" He realized that everyone was staring at him. He stopped scratching thereby leaving the button in the 'on' position. "Hey, why's everyone staring at me? Huh… who turned off my mute button?"

Tea crouched and stared at the monkey. "Tristan?"

Joey leapt out of the cab and yanked the monkey from Serenity. "All right, spill it, monkey boy, who are you?"

"Come on, Joey, it's me, Tristan!"

"Bull crap, I think you're a robot spy sent by Noah!"

"No, you guys got to believe me, it's me, Tristan!" Tristan dropped to the ground and knelt before Harold. "Harold, old buddy, old pal, old friend, you know it's me, don't you? Please believe me!"

Harold stared intently at Tristan. He gaze was quizzical.

"Well, Harold?" Yugi asked.

Harold finally snapped his fingers, "I've got it, guys!"

"Yes, I knew you would come through!"

Harold pointed to Tristan. "It's a Duel Monster."

Tristan face-faulted, then gave Harold a mean look, "DO I LOOK LIKE A DUEL MONSTER, YOU NIMROD?" Tristan than took another look at his body. "Oh, I guess I do."

"It's called Acrobat Monkey (1)," Harold explained. "Don't worry, its relatively harmless."

"I guess we shouldn't be surprised about this," Yugi said. "In this world, Duel Monsters are as real as we are."

"That's true," Tea agreed remembering her encounter with the Hitotsu-Me Giants.

"So the question is what do we do about it?" Amara asked.

"I have an idea," Joey said.

Minutes later, the group was off again, except this time the robot monkey was tied up in the back. "This is cruel and unusual punishment!" Tristan protested. "You guys have to believe me, I'm Tristan."

"Sorry but we're not taking any chances," Duke said staring down at Tristan.

Tristan huffed, "I should've just stayed back at the warehouse."

* * *

Back at Kaiba's duel, Lector was saying, "Where were we? Oh yeah, I had 5 times as many life points as you and it's still my turn."

(K: 700)  
(L: 3500)

"Now I'm about to eliminate you! First I'll activate Lily's special ability by giving up 2000 life points!"

(K: 700)  
(L: 1500)

"Lily, attack his Behemoth with Hypodermic Shot!" Kaiba's two-headed dragon was destroyed.

"When my Behemoth is destroyed, it automatically returns to the field in defense mode with less points," Kaiba said as his monster reappeared.

(THB: 1500-1000, 1200-1000)

"Fine, then I'll activate the magic card Cure Master which lets me raise my life points by 1000, no questions asked."

(K: 700)  
(L: 2500)

Kaiba scowled; that meant that he could use Lily's special ability again and not lose the duel. "By the way, Mister Kaiba, remember that rocket I launched earlier? Well keep an eye on its energy gauge." The card picture had transformed into an energy gauge that was slowly climbing.

By this time, the others have arrived on the bridge. Yugi and Joey jumped out and ran to the edge. "Kaiba!" Yugi called.

Kaiba turned around. "Yugi."

* * *

Noah and Mokuba were watching all this on the screen, "How sweet," Noah said snidely. "The whole gang's here, now Seto will have an audience to witness his destruction."

"My brother will stop that creep," Mokuba snapped. "Then he'll come and rescue me."

Noah chuckled, "You seem confident that your brother cares about you," he observed. "Well you're wrong!"

Mokuba gasped.

* * *

"Hey Yug, would you look at that? Kaiba's up against the meanest, badest monster around."

"That's right, Joey, it's Jinzo and if that's the Deck Master, that means that Kaiba can't use any of his trap cards."

"That's not fair," Tea complained. "It's like dueling with half a deck."

"A third of a deck, actually," Amara corrected. "Kaiba can still use monster and magic cards."

"But that doesn't change the fact that Kaiba has a severe handicap," Duke pointed out.

_Even at a handicap, I can outduel this old geezer, _Kaiba thought as he drew a card. He chuckled, "Looks like there's foul weather ahead. I play the magic card Heavy Storm now all your magic and trap cards are destroyed!"

"No they're not, I reveal my final face-down card, Imperial Order. Now you can't play any magic cards, all I have to do is pay 700 life points during every one of my turn."

* * *

"Oh no," Mokuba gasped as Heavy Storm was prematurely destroyed. Noah smirked.

"It's my turn now. First I gain 500 life points from Solemn Wishes and another 1000 from Life Absorbing Machine, then I pay 700 life points to keep Imperial Order in play."

(K: 700)  
(L: 3300)

"Then I'll activate my Satellite Cannon!"

* * *

High in space, a satellite with a giant laser cannon hovered, targeting Kaiba's side of the field since it arrived. Upon receiving a signal, it charged up and fired an intense beam towards the planet.

* * *

A large shaft of energy obliterated Kaiba's Wicked Worm Beast (2). The blast was so powerful that it sent shockwaves coursing outward. Yugi and the gang held on to their truck to protect themselves.

"How can I stop a weapon that's up there?" Kaiba wondered.

"You can't," Lector pointed out. "My Satellite Cannon can withstand attacks form almost any Duel Monster."

"Is that true?" Serenity asked.

"Pretty much," Amara confirmed.

"Have you heard of Satellite Cannon, Amara?" Duke asked.

"Only rumors about it. The rumors are that it's the only Duel Monster of its kind."

"Its kind?" Joey questioned.

"Satellite Cannon can't be destroyed by any Duel Monster with less than seven stars in its power level," Amara explained. "Plus for every turn it remains on the field, it grows stronger. There was a particular rumor about only one of that card existing. But since then, the card's been banned from normal tournament play."

"Normal tournament play, yes," Joey agreed. "But whoever said this was a normal tournament?"

"You're about to lose everything, Mister Kaiba," Lector said. "Serves you right for destroying your own step-father and betraying the Big-5. Now you will pay the price for using others to get what you want, including your own brother!"

"What the heck is he talking about?" Joey asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Duke answered.

"I find it hard to believe that Kaiba would use Mokuba like that," Harold said.

"I agree, Harold," Yugi said.

* * *

"It's a lie!" Mokuba cried out. "My brother would never do something like that."

"Mokuba," Noah said calmly. "It's about time you learned the harsh truth about your brother."

"What do you mean?" Mokuba asked nervously.

"Listen to what Lector has to say."

* * *

_Your treachery began when your step-father, Gozaburo gave you ten million dollars to test your business skills. Gozaburo was impressed at your abilities and your cruelty. And impressing Gozaburo Kaiba is no easy feat. Believe me, I tried. But that wasn't good enough for you, was it, Mister Kaiba? No, now that you had a taste of power, you found that you wanted more. And there was only one way to do it._

_"I called you five in here because my step-father treats you like crap. I don't think its fair and I have a feeling you don't think it's fair either. Johnson, my step-father blames you for Kaiba Corp.'s arraignment in the death of Dr. Hunter. Crump, your counting skills are the best in the world but I believe my step-father has been wasting your abilities on needless calculations. All of you deserve better, and I'm willing to offer you more."_

_"What do you mean, Mister Kaiba?"_

_"Simple, Lector, if we were to take control of Kaiba Corporation away from my step-father, we would be able to run it as a team. And I guarantee you that, when the takeover is complete, all of you will be incredibly wealthy and immensely powerful."_

_We all started buying up as many shares of Kaiba Corp. as possible. But we soon discovered that we had problems. It was getting harder and harder to acquire shares of stock in the company. Somebody was tipping Gozaburo off and you told everyone it was Mokuba. We even believed it after you assaulted him in your room._

_"How could you, Mokuba? I thought you were my brother, but you betrayed me!"_

_"No, Seto, it wasn't me!"_

_"Liar! Get out of my sight, I never want to see you again!"

* * *

_

Mokuba clenched his knees. "That was the most horrible day of my life," he said trying to hold back tears.

* * *

_Heartbroken, Mokuba turned to the only other person who might understand, Gozaburo!_

_"I see, so Seto thinks you betrayed him and assaulted you."_

_"Yes, sir, I thought I might come and tell you."_

_"You did the right thing, kid, the only thing I hate more than failure is traitors. Rest assured, all traitors will get what's coming to them."_

_"Yes, sir."_

_"I'd like to thank you for bringing this to my attention. I reward those who are faithful to me and here is your reward, two percent of Kaiba Corp."_

_"Two percent?"_

_"That's right, and between the two of us, Seto and the Big-5 don't stand a chance."_

_So on that fateful day, the six of us stood as one against your step-father, Gozaburo._

_"The Big-5 and I are sick of your tyrannical rule so we're taking control of Kaiba Corp!"_

_"Hah, nice try, kid, but you've failed."_

_"No I haven't, I've already brought 51 of Kaiba Corp."_

_"Actually, you have only 49."_

_"What?"_

_"You heard me, I had a feeling you might betray me so I put two percent of shares to a silent partner and without 51, the takeover can not happen. You've failed, boy. As for the five of you, you're all fired for betraying me! Clean out your desks, I don't want to see any of you in this town ever again! And as for you, Seto, are going back to the Orphanage where all riff-raff like you belong!"_

_"No he's not!"_

_"Mokuba!"_

_"What do you mean he's not?"_

_"You can't fire the new President of Kaiba Corp."_

_"But I'm the president!"_

_"Not any more, I'm giving Seto my 2 so he now has the 51 he needs."_

_"NOOOOO!"

* * *

_

"Gozaburo disappeared shortly after that," Lector concluded. "Everyone said he committed suicide and it was all your fault! You played us all for fools, Kaiba! It wasn't really Mokuba who leaked our plans to Gozaburo, it was you all along!"

* * *

"No way!" Mokuba gasped. "I don't believe it!"

* * *

"You're just like your step-father, you always like to let your opponent to think he's winning before you crush him. So you deliberately leaked information to Gozaburo's spies and made him think it was Mokuba just so you could get Gozaburo to give Mokuba his share of the company. You knew your brother would remain loyal to you no matter how badly you treated him."

"Mokuba was the only one I ever fully trusted," Kaiba said in his defense. "I knew that together, we could take our step-father down together."

"You used him and took advantage of his trust!"

* * *

"Stop," Mokuba pleaded. "I don't want to hear any more!"

* * *

"You used him and us!"

"I've heard enough of your whining," Kaiba snapped. "If you can't win, then don't play the game. And speaking of game, it's my move!" Kaiba dramatically drew a card. "I play the monster card Spirit Ryu (3)! Spirit Ryu, attack his Injection Fairy Lily now!"

"How soon we've forgotten, I activate Lily's special ability."

(K: 700)  
(L: 1300)

(IFL: 400-3400)

"Well I'll activate my monster's special effect too," Kaiba said. "By discarding two dragon cards, I can raise the attack points of my monster by 2000!"

(SR: 1000-3000, 1000-3000)

Despite that, Spirit Ryu was still destroyed.

(K: 300)  
(L: 1300)

"Why did Kaiba allow Lector to destroy his monster like that?" Tea asked.

"I'm sure Kaiba knows what he's doing," Yugi assured her.

"Just wish I knew also," Harold added.

"My turn isn't over yet, Lector! Twin-Headed Behemoth, attack his Injection Fairy Lily now!" The two-headed dragon attacked the Fairy.

"Oh no," Lector gasped. "I don't have enough life points to activate Lily's effect. My Fairy's doomed.

The Fairy was destroyed.

(K: 300)  
(L: 700)

"You can only use your monster's effect as long as your life points are high. Otherwise, it was just an easy target for my two-headed dragon."

Lector growled and drew a card. "I'll take 500 life points from Solemn Wishes and 350 from Life-Absorbing Machine."

(K: 300)  
(L: 1550)

"Don't forget to pay 700 life points to keep Imperial Order in play," Kaiba reminded him.

"I can't risk losing that much so I'll destroy it," Lector decided removing the card from play.

"Awesome," Yugi cheered. "Now Kaiba can use his magic cards again!"

"He might win this after all," Joey figured.

"Looks like as usual I'm one step ahead of you, Lector," Kaiba taunted.

"It's not over yet! I set a monster in defense mode and use my Satellite Cannon to destroy your Behemoth!" Once again a shaft of energy totally disintegrated the monster.

"I will not allow my past to come in the way of my future," Kaiba declared as he drew a card. "First I play the magic card Pot of Greed, this lets me draw two extra cards. First I play a magic card called Cure Master. Because you've played it yourself, you should know what it does."

(K: 1300)  
(L: 1550)

"Next I summon Possessed Dark Soul (4) in attack mode and have it attack your face-down card." As the fire monster attacked, a blue-skinned fairy with red hair was revealed.

"You just turned over my Dreamsprite (5)," Lector said. "Which lets me redirect your attack to any other monster I have and I choose my Satellite Cannon!" The blast went up and disappeared into the stratosphere. Because the card remained on the field, it was obvious that the attack failed. "You're just one turn away from me gaining control over your body!"

_As much as I hate to admit it, he's right, it all comes down to this draw. Mokuba, this is for you.

* * *

_

_Come on, Big Brother, you can do it.

* * *

_

Kaiba reached to his deck and drew a card.

He drew it.

"First I set a monster in defense mode," Kaiba began. "And next I'll activate my Deck Master's special ability! By paying 500 life points…"

(K: 800)  
(L: 1550)

"I can have Lord of Dragons summon any dragon monster from my hand. Now I sacrifice my two monsters on the field so I can summon my Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

* * *

"Yes!" Mokuba cheered.

* * *

"That's the ticket," Harold cheered. "Knock that thing from the sky, Blue-Eyes."

The mighty dragon flapped its wings and ascended into the air. Kaiba then revealed something that Lector apparently forgot, "Satellite Cannon only has attack points when it's about to attack. Otherwise, its attack points are… 0!"

The Blue-Eyes White Dragon came out of orbit and faced the Satellite Cannon. It fired its White Lightning Attack and destroyed it.

(K: 800)  
(L: 0)

The pieces of the Satellite Cannon burned up in orbit making it appear as fireworks.

Yugi and the others cheered Kaiba's victory.

Kaiba dashed forward and grabbed Lector by his cloak, "Now tell me where Mokuba is!"

"You'll never see your brother again," Lector said as he began to dissolve. "But you will see me again, count on it!" And before Kaiba could demand any more information, Lector disappeared.

* * *

"All right, way to go, Seto!" Mokuba cheered.

"Mokuba, how could you still cheer for him?" Noah asked bewildered. "He used you in his take over of Kaiba Corp."

"I'll stand by my brother no matter what," Mokuba declared. "We're family and nothing will ever separate us!"

Noah scowled darkly, _I'll show him family._

The End

* * *

Duel Monster Database

(1)  
Name: Acrobat Monkey  
Level: 3  
Type: Machine  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 1000  
DEF: 1800

(2)  
Name: The Wicked Worm Beast  
Level: 3  
Type: Beast/Effect  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 1400  
DEF: 700

(3)  
Name: Spirit Ryu  
Level: 4  
Type: Dragon/Effect  
Attribute: Wind  
ATK: 1000  
DEF: 1000

(4)  
Name: Possessed Dark Soul  
Level: 3  
Type: Fiend/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 1200  
DEF: 800

(5)  
Name: Dreamsprite  
Level: 2  
Type: Plant/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 300  
DEF: 200


	16. Miles to Go

Yu-Gi-Oh! Avatar

Fanfic Chapter 130: Miles to Go  
Episode Basis: Noah's Secret

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh! The gang arrived just in time to hear Lector tell the story of how Kaiba acquired Kaiba Corporation from his step-father, Gozaburo. Kaiba recruited the Big-5 over to his side and they started buying up shares of Kaiba Corp. But something was wrong, somebody was betraying them to Gozaburo and all the signs pointed to… Mokuba! Mokuba turned to Gozaburo who gave him 2 percent of Kaiba Corp. in return for ratting his brother out. So when the time came, Kaiba wouldn't be able to get the percentage he needed to seize control. At least that was the plan. But Mokuba betrayed Gozaburo and gave his share to Kaiba. Back at the duel, Kaiba was able to free up his magic cards and summon his Blue-Eyes White Dragon to destroy the Satellite Cannon in deep space. But it's not over yet, Mokuba is still in Noah's grip and who knows what kind of plans Noah has for the young Kaiba.

* * *

"How could you still be on Seto's side after he used you to take control of Kaiba Corp.?" 

"I'll stand by my brother no matter what!"

_Incredible, _Noah thought astonished. _Even after everything I showed him, he's still loyal to Seto. _His brow scrunched up in fury. _I'm sick of Seto getting everything and leaving me with nothing! I want what he has and I'll start with Little Mokuba. I'll take the one thing in the world Seto thought he would never lose… his baby brother. _"What do you think your brother's thinking right now?" Mokuba looked at him confused. "Do you honestly think he's coming here to rescue you?"

"What kind of a stupid question is that?" Mokuba snapped. "Of course he will!"

"Are you sure? Maybe you should ask him yourself, he's standing over there." Noah pointed behind them. Mokuba turned and saw that Kaiba was indeed standing behind him.

"Seto!" Mokuba leapt off the couch and ran over to him. "I knew you would come, I…" Kaiba raised his hand and shoved Mokuba to the ground. "Seto?"

"Stay away," Kaiba commanded. "Don't come any closer!"

"Seto, what's going on?"

"I'm sick of you holding me back," Kaiba snapped. "You're the reason why I'm trapped here to begin with!" Then he turned and began to walk away.

"Seto, wait!" Mokuba called but Kaiba was already disappearing into the darkness. "Seto…"

"Seems like your brother doesn't care about you any more," Noah commented coming up next to Noah. "But I, on the other hand, do." He leaned down until he was eye-length with Mokuba. "I do care about what happens to you." Noah's eyes began to glow red. Mokuba's eyes did likewise. Noah embraced Mokuba, "I'm the only one you can trust."

"The only one I can trust," Mokuba repeated in a droning voice.

* * *

The light particles from Lector's disappearing act were still in the air. The others were still trying to accept the fact that they have finally beaten The Big-5. 

Suddenly Noah's voice filled the sky, "You may have won the duel, you fool," Noah said (apparently to Kaiba only) "but you lost something much more important: your brother!

"Where's Mokuba!" Kaiba demanded to know.

"Just look down." The missing section of the bridge was filled and a tunnel appeared on the other side of Kaiba. Kaiba started to walk towards the tunnel.

"Kaiba, wait," Yugi called. "It might be a trap!"

"Stay out of this, Yugi," Kaiba returned.

"Who does he think he is, Master of the Universe?" Joey cracked sarcastically.

"This doesn't concern any of you, this if family business!"

"Bah, who needs him," Joey said dismissively.

"Yeah," Duke agreed.

"Guys, we need to help him, for Mokuba if anyone."

"Yeah, and we might even find my body while we're at it," Tristan added from the back of the truck.

"Yeah, Tristan's right," Serenity spoke up.

"Oh thank you, Serenity, I knew you would agree with me." Tristan leapt at Serenity but Duke caught him by the tail and pulled him back.

"For all we know, you're Noah's pet," he pointed out.

"I'm nobody's pet," Tristan said as he and Duke began wrestling.

Ignoring Tristan's and Duke's squabble, Yugi stared at the tunnel. "We can't let Kaiba go alone," he decided and took off.

"Yugi, wait up," Tea called as she ran after him.

"Hey wait for me," Harold said as he followed suit. "Somebody's got to keep you two in check."

Joey was still sulking, "I'm sick of helping out that rich snob and not getting any thanks."

"Me too," Duke agreed. "If we were in trouble, Kaiba wouldn't even think about helping us out."

"I don't care about what Kaiba thinks," Serenity said firmly. "I'm going to do the right think and help rescue Mokuba and Tristan's body!" And she turned and ran to the tunnel.

"Serenity, wait," Joey called. Then he sighed and followed her as did Duke.

"Hey what about me," Tristan called pulling at the rope. "Hello, I'm still here!"

"I got you," Amara said untying Tristan from the truck.

"So does this mean you believe me?" Tristan asked.

"No, I just don't believe in animal cruelty," Amara said fitting Tristan on her shoulder.

Serenity was almost at the tunnel when it suddenly disappeared.

"Yugi, Tea, Harold, hang on," Joey said.

* * *

Kaiba reached a fork in the tunnel. He cursed Noah and his tricks then took the right fork. 

"Help!" Kaiba skidded to a halt. Someone was calling for help and it sounded like Mokuba.

"Mokuba? Mokuba!" Kaiba turned into a side tunnel and saw someone standing in the darkness. "Mokuba, is that you?"

The kid turned around. The clothes he was wearing was Mokuba's but it wasn't Mokuba, it was Noah. Laughing, he floated into the air as a bright flash of light engulfed both of them.

Yugi and Tea came to the same intersection.

"Which way?" Yugi wondered.

"This way," Tea instructed taking the left fork. "Kaiba went this way."

"Are you sure?"

"Nope, just following woman's intuition."

"Oh, woman's intuition," Yugi parroted. "Hey wait up, Tea, your legs are longer than mine!"

The two continued running until they saw a bright light. They came out into a forest in front of an old mansion.

"What is this place?" Yugi wondered.

"I don't know, looks like an old house," Tea said. They could hear a baby crying in the distance. "Yugi, did you hear that?"

"Yeah, sounded like a baby."

"In a place that creepy, it must be alone. We have to find it."

Yugi noticed an old brass nameplate that was covered with dust. He brushed most of the dust out of it.

KAIBA

"This is Kaiba's house!" Yugi gasped.

"Impossible, there's no way Kaiba would live in a dump like that. And what's with the baby?"

"Maybe if we find the baby, we'll find a clue as to what's going on here," Yugi guessed.

"You think so?"

"Nope, just following Duelist's intuition," Yugi said with a smile.

Harold also came to the same intersection that Yugi, Tea, and Kaiba came to. "Great, now where? Oh well, when in doubt, take the right path." He went down the right-hand path. He went around corners until he started to wonder if he was going the correct way. Suddenly there was a flash of light and he was falling.

"NOT AGAIN," he screamed.

* * *

Yami-Marik kicked a wall with his foot. "Where are those fools?" He asked. "If I'm going to receive the ultimate power, I need the Millennium Puzzle and the other two Egyptian God Cards! Where could they be?" 

"They are dealing with a more immediate concern than you right now." Yami-Marik turned and saw a piece of an off-white dress peeking out from around the corner. Even without seeing her face, Yami-Marik knew it was Ishizu.

"What do you mean?"

"They are dealing with a bigger threat than you are right now. And until they defeat this greater threat, you will not get what you seek."

Yami-Marik growled and kicked the wall again. "It's time to teach those fools where their immediate concern should lie." And he turned and stormed out.

"Are you sure that was wise?" Kevin asked. "To lie to him like that."

"How do you know I'm lying?" Ishizu asked back.

Yami-Marik stormed off the blimp, "I'll teach those fools that I am not to be discarded like rubbish!"

* * *

Kaiba came crashing into Noah's virtual waiting room. "Now where did that kid send me?" He wondered. 

"Welcome to my home, Seto Kaiba."

Kaiba turned and saw Noah, now back in his white shirt and shorts. "Bring my brother here now," Kaiba demanded then noticed Mokuba peeking out from behind Noah. "Mokuba!"

"Safe and sound thanks to me," Noah said as a cage moved into position.

"But you're the one who kidnapped him in the first place so you better hand him over before I really get angry."

"How soon we forget, it was your ex-employee, Nesbitt disguised as Tristan who took Mokuba, without my permission I might add."

_So Nesbitt did take over Tristan's body, _concluded Kaiba.

"Maybe you should've been a better boss," Noah said. "I was the one who saved Mokuba, you should be thanking me."

Kaiba just stomped over to Mokuba, "Come on, Mokuba, we're leaving." He took Mokuba's arm and started to lead him away.

"No!" Mokuba shouted to Kaiba's surprise. He ran back to Noah. "Why, Kaiba, why did you stand by and watch them kidnap me? I'm staying with Noah, my real brother!"

Kaiba looked like he was just slapped by his Egyptian God Card. He looked at Noah, "What did you do to Mokuba?"

"Mois? I didn't do a thing," Noah said shrugging. "Maybe all those times you shouted at him finally broke him down."

Kaiba turned back to Mokuba, "Mokuba, snap out of it!"

"It'll take more than yelling to undo all the painful memories of you abandoning him to pursue your own selfish ambitions."

"It's a lie, I would never treat Mokuba that way!"

"Of course you wouldn't," Noah said sarcastically. He then tilted his head like he was listening for something. "Oh, we're about to have a visitor."

On cue, Harold appeared tumbling into the cage. "Ow, that hurt," he moaned. He looked at his surroundings. "Huh, where am I? Kaiba!"

Kaiba looked briefly at Harold. "Harold?"

"What the heck is going on here?"

"Somehow, Noah's brainwashed Mokuba."

"What?"

"What you call brainwashing I call showing the truth. And soon, Seto, you will have nothing! And do you know why you will have nothing? Because you deserve nothing!"

* * *

Yugi and Tea made their way through the mansion looking for the source of the crying. Yugi burst into an old room that looked like a nursery. Inside a crib was a rattle. 

"This whole place is empty," Tea said coming into the room with him. "What's that you got?"

"A rattle," Yugi said showing the object in question.

"Wow, I guess I'd be crying too if I was trapped in a big scary old house without my rattle."

"I'm beginning to suspect that there was never a baby in here to begin with?"

"So then what did we hear outside? Some sort of sound file?"

"Maybe." Yugi noticed a picture on a side table. He picked it up and saw that it showed two people. The smaller boy standing was clearly Noah, but Yugi didn't recognize the stocky man sitting in the chair.

"Who's that?" Tea asked referring to the man.

"I don't know, maybe Kaiba would know. We'll ask him next time we see him."

* * *

Tristan sighed as he laid on the edge of the bridge. A fog had arisen and made it hard to travel so they were now waiting for the others. "Waiting is boring," he complained. He looked into the water and saw four sets of eyes staring at him. "Uh… guys, what has eight eyes and lives underwater?" 

"Is that a joke?" Serenity asked.

"I'm really not in the mood for humor, monkey boy," Joey said nonplussed.

"I'm serious, guys, you should look over here."

"He probably just wants attention," Amara said while lying in the truck bed.

"Listen, robo-runt, zip your lip or I'll dissect you," Duke threatened.

Suddenly a water spout burst up and four figures appeared: Gansley, Crump, Johnson, and Lector in their Deck Master forms.

"It's four of the Big-5," Joey recognized. "Can't you clowns leave us alone?"

"Not until we win your bodies," Gansley said.

"Oh no," Serenity said distraught.

"Relax, Serenity, those four losers couldn't duel their way out of a paper bag," her brother assured her.

"And who said we wanted to duel you for them?" Crump asked.

"Huh?"

"We prefer to gain our bodies the old fashion way," Lector explained. "Taking them by force!"

Serenity grabbed Tristan and carried him over to the truck. "Can they do that, Joey?"

"I'm not waiting around to find out," Joey said activating his Duel Disk and inserting his deck. He summoned Baby Dragon (1), Rocket Warrior, Little-Winguard, Swordsman of Landstar, and Battle Warrior (2) and sent them into battle. As the remaining members of the Big-5 did battle, Joey tried starting up the truck but it wasn't turning over. Serenity with Tristan climbed into the cab and Duke and Amara jumped into the bed. The truck finally turned over just as the Big-5 was finishing off Joey's monsters. With a loud screech, Joey took off down the bridge. The Big-5 gave chase.

Amara searched through her deck as Joey swerved to avoid an attack by Lector. "Joey, keep it even, will you?"

"Sure, if you don't mind being body-napped!" Joey snapped.

"Well if I'm going to have my body taken over, they're going to have to work for it," Amara said. "I summon Witch of the Black Forest (3), Beautiful Headhuntress (4), Kanan the Swordmistress, Succubus Knight (5), and Dancing Elf (6)! Hopefully, they'll be able to hold them off in time for us to get away." But the Big-5 were already making quick work of even Succubus Knight, one of Amara's strong monsters.

* * *

"It's time you learned the truth," Noah decided. A projection came alive with an image of Noah standing in front of Gozaburo Kaiba. 

"Hey, I found another door!" A door appeared and opened and Yugi and Tea walked in. "Now where are we?"

"Yugi, Tea," Harold called.

"Harold, what are you doing up there?" Yugi asked.

"Just hanging around," Harold replied dryly.

Noah rolled his eyes, "It seems I'm just so popular today."

"Tea, you go show Kaiba what we found, I'll free Harold," Yugi instructed.

"Right."

"So, Yugi, any idea on how to free me?" Harold asked.

"Just one," Yugi said activating his Duel Disk and drawing a card. "I summon Alpha the Magnet Warrior (7)!" A strange humanoid magnet carrying a sword appeared. "Alpha, cut down that cage!" Alpha leapt up and sliced through the cage causing Harold to fall to the floor.

"Thanks," Harold said rubbing his sore butt.

"No problem."

Meanwhile Tea went up to Kaiba. "Kaiba, does this mean anything to you?" She showed him the picture she and Yugi found in the mansion.

"It's just another trick," Kaiba dismissed.

"What do you mean?" Tea asked as Yugi and Harold came up behind her.

"It's a picture of Noah with my step-father, Gozaburo."

"That's Gozaburo Kaiba?" Yugi asked. "But how does Noah know him?"

"Watch this movie and you'll find out," Noah said as the video started.

The five of them watched as Gozaburo pulled out a picture of young Seto from his desk. "I want you to meet my latest business acquisition," he told Noah. "His name is Seto and he's an extremely bright young man. And I plan on bringing him in so that you would work harder on your studies."

"Harder?" Noah asked.

"Yes, you're going to have to prove that you have the intellect to run Kaiba Corp. some day."

"I won't disappoint you, Father."

Yugi, Harold, Tea, and Kaiba all gasped at this. Kaiba was especially taken aback.

"It's true," present day Noah confirmed. "I am Gozaburo's one true son and you were just one of his servants."

"It's not true," Kaiba argued.

"Yes it is, and now the time has come for me to reclaim my rightful position as head of my father's empire! Looks like you're out of a job, Seto."

"Wait, if you're Gozaburo's only son, why haven't I met you before?" Kaiba asked.

"The answer is quite simple, Seto, you see I was…" An alarm went off as a new video image was played, one of Joey, Amara, Serenity, Duke, and Tristan being chased by the Big-5.

"Joey and the others are in trouble," Yugi said horrified.

"Those fools," Noah grumbled. "They're breaking my rules again. Excuse me." Noah started to disappear.

"Noah, wait," Kaiba called but Noah had totally vanished.

Their entire area shattered like broken glass leaving the four of them suspended in mid-air.

"Have to move fast," Yugi said as he drew a card. "Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress!"

"Wingweaver!" Harold called.

"Blue-Eyes White Dragon," Kaiba summoned. The Winged Dragon picked up Yugi and Tea while Kaiba's and Harold's monsters carried them to safety.

* * *

Lector used Jinzo's trap-destroying beam to knock out the road in front of the truck causing Joey to swerve out of control and crash catapulting Duke and Amara away. Joey, Serenity, and Tristan hauled themselves through the top window of the cab. 

"Sorry, guys," Joey said helping Serenity out of the truck. "I tried my best."

"Your best wasn't good enough, Joseph," Johnson said as he, Crump, and Lector walked up to them.

"Joey, I'm scared," Serenity said cuddling Tristan (much to Tristan's delight).

"I don't think you're scared enough," Gansley said throwing Duke and Amara with the others. "Now, let's pick out a body shall we."

"Can I get one of the girls?" Crump asked.

"And who says you get to decide first?" Johnson asked. "I'm the judge, I should render a verdict."

"Oh quit that legal crap," Crump snapped. "I want a body and I want it now!"

"Quit your whining," Lector said. "There are plenty of bodies for you two to choose from."

"Yes so choose," Gansley threw in.

"Well, guys, looks like this is it," Joey said.

Suddenly the four Duel Monsters were strafed with fireballs and energy attacks. Everyone looked to see Wingweaver, Winged Dragon, and Blue-Eyes White Dragon descend.

"It's Seto Kaiba and those other twerps," Lector realized.

"Leave them alone," Yugi shouted.

"Get them," Lector commanded and the four of them flew up to meet them.

Suddenly a large tornado separated the competing powers. Johnson, Crump, Lector, and Gansley were all sucked into it.

Noah's voice could be heard, "I warned what would happen to you fools if you broke my rules," he said. "Now suffer the consequences." The tornado sucked the Duel Monsters up into the sky and disappeared.

The Duel Monsters landed and Yugi and his friends were reunited.

Kaiba was the only one not happy, just staring at the picture.

"Kaiba," Yugi said walking up to him. "Do you think what Noah said about being your step-brother is true?"

"Noah's just trying to mess with my mind, Yugi," Kaiba said.

"How so?"

"The conversation he supposedly had with Gozaburo would've taken place six years ago which was when this picture was taken based on the inscribed date. But look closely at the photograph itself and you'll see why I believe it's a hoax."

Yugi looked at the picture carefully. It looked legit to him, Noah looking the same…

Yugi realized it, "Noah looks the same back then as he does now!"

"But if that's true, then that means that Noah hasn't aged in over six years," Tea concluded. "How is that possible?"

The End

* * *

Duel Monster Database 

(1)  
Name: Baby Dragon  
Level: 3  
Type: Dragon  
Attribute: Wind  
ATK: 1200  
DEF: 700

(2)  
Name: Battle Warrior  
Level: 2  
Type: Warrior  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 700  
DEF: 1000

(3)  
Name: Witch of the Black Forest  
Level: 4  
Type: Spellcaster/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 1100  
DEF: 1200

(4)  
Name: Beautiful Headhuntress  
Level: 4  
Type: Warrior  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 1600  
DEF: 800

(5)  
Name: Succubus Knight  
Level: 5  
Type: Warrior  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 1650  
DEF: 1300

(6)  
Name: Dancing Elf  
Level: 1  
Type: Fairy  
Attribute: Wind  
ATK: 300  
DEF: 200

(7)  
Name: Alpha the Magnet Warrior  
Level: 4  
Type: Rock  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 1400  
DEF: 1700


	17. The Alliance Pt 1

Yu-Gi-Oh! Avatar

Fanfic Chapter 131: The Alliance Pt 1: Team Up  
Episode Basis: Merger of the Big-5 Pt 1

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh! After defeating the last of the Big-5, you would expect that the gang to finally get out of there. No such luck. First Kaiba went off on a search for Mokuba only to discover that Mokuba had taken Noah's side. Yugi and Tea explored an old mansion that apparently at one time belonged to Kaiba and discovered a photograph which showed Noah next to Kaiba's step-father, Gozaburo. Harold got captured by Noah but Yugi was able to free him. Noah revealed to the four of them that he was Gozaburo's son which didn't make any sense to Kaiba considering how he never met Noah before today. Meanwhile, the members of the Big-5 who hadn't got a human body appeared to Joey and the others and attacked them hoping to take their bodies by force. But Noah stopped the assault and spirited the Big-5 away. Everyone was reunited and they discovered something really shocking: that Noah hasn't aged in six years. Something's off about that.

* * *

"You fools think you can just go behind my back and take whatever you wish?" Noah, flanked by Kimo and Mokuba, chastised Gansley, Crump, Johnson, and Lector. "Your recklessness is making me look bad!" 

"Forgive us, Master Noah," Crump said. "It's been so long since we've had a body, we got desperate. Besides… it was Johnson's idea!"

"Now just wait a second, you little toad," Johnson retorted. "I was the only one with an idea; all you did was come along for the ride!"

"Would you two stop your arguing," Gansley said. "We would've gotten their bodies too if Noah hadn't taken us away."

"Perhaps if you weren't so desperate for a body, you wouldn't be in this much trouble," Kimo pointed out.

"You're in no position to be lecturing us, Kimo," Lector said. "You don't have a body either."

"I don't care if I ever get a body, as long as I get my revenge on those rats!"

"That's a load of bull," Gansley commented.

"That's enough," Noah snapped. "You four are acting more childish than Yugi and his friends." The four burst into protest.

"Excuse me, Master Noah," Nesbitt said appearing. "I just thought I would check in before proceeding to the real world in Tristan's body."

"Hold on, he lost his duel too," Lector protested.

"Yeah, that body doesn't belong to him alone."

"At least I didn't need to cheat like Johnson."

"I object!"

"Be silent," Noah commanded. "You know what, Crump, you have a point. I think you should all share Tristan's body."

"Share?" The Big-5 said as one.

"Yes, share Tristan's body so you can beat Seto's strongest rival, Yugi Moto. Defeating him will prove once and for all that I deserve Seto's empire. If you win, I'll let you each have a body."

"Yes, Master Noah," all of the Big-5 said.

Noah cast a side glance at Kimo. "Kimo, go with them."

"Me? But…"

"You're getting a second chance at revenge and besides, considering how strong Seto's rival is, they're going to need all the help they can get."

Kimo nodded and disappeared.

* * *

Yugi and the others sat around their toppled over truck still digesting what they discovered. 

"Okay, riddle me this," Amara said. "If the Noah we've been looking at isn't the real Noah, what is it?"

"Maybe some sort of back-up file," Tea offered.

"Maybe that Noah's image is just a hologram like the rest of this dump," Joey suggested.

"It's possible," Yugi said. "But somehow I doubt it."

"But it would explain Noah's grudge against Kaiba," Harold pointed out.

"All I know is that my body is somewhere out there and I want it back," Tristan whined.

"And Mokuba's been captured too," Serenity added. "So we still have a long way to go before we leave this place."

Kaiba let out a furious grunt and started to walk away. "Kaiba, wait up," Yugi called.

"This doesn't concern you, Yugi, so stay out of it," Kaiba snapped.

But Tea stepped in Kaiba's path. "We want to help," she told him.

"This is family business," Kaiba said and moved to walk past her.

But Tea wouldn't let him pass just yet. "In case you have a poor memory, it's your family business that got us all trapped here in the first place and we can help you find Mokuba." Kaiba looked away. "Mokuba is our friend and we want to help him just as much as you do."

"Why don't you worry about him instead," Kaiba said pointing to the bluff behind them. They all turned and saw Tristan's body looking down at them.

"Tristan!"

"It's not Tristan, remember?" Joey reminded them. "It's that techno-geek, Nesbitt."

"Even though Serenity and I wasted him, he still got Tristan's body," Harold said clenching his fist. Serenity and Tristan had a feeling that Harold was still kicking himself over his dormancy in their duel.

A chorus of laughs emitted from Tristan's mouth as well as several voices. "I'm not alone… today's special is six for the price of one… and the verdict is in… we have teamed up to annihilate you… you're no longer dealing with just the Big-5, you're dealing with the Council of 6 (AN1)." All the Deck Masters of the people trapped in Tristan's body appeared and flanked him.

"You've got to be kidding," Amara said. "Just when I think these guys couldn't get any crazier, they do."

"Give Tristan's body back!" Yugi demanded.

"There's only one way you'll do that," Gansley said. "And that's to beat us in a duel."

* * *

_"Wait a second," _Nesbitt protested to the others. _"I never agreed to give Tristan's body back."_

_"It's our body too," _Crump pointed out.

_"And besides, whoever said we were going to keep our word?" _Johnson added._ "You know fully well that businessmen like us rarely keep their word."_

Nesbitt let out a frustrated sigh. _"Fine."

* * *

_

A Duel Disk appeared on Tristan's arm. "Now, Little-Yugi, prepare to duel!"

"Fine," Yugi said as he and Yami merged. "I accept your challenge," Yami-Yugi said.

"Hold on, Yug," Joey said stepping forward. "Six on one isn't fair, so why don't we make it six on two."

"You mean six on three," Amara said also stepping forward.

"Actually, he means six on four," Harold said. "I may have stood by before but not again, never again!"

"Agreed."

_"Wait!"

* * *

_

_"What is it now?" _Gansley asked Kimo.

_"This is getting out of hand the original plan was to have the six of us duel only Yugi."_

_"Young Joseph is weak and the other two are inexperienced to handle such an intense duel," _Johnson argued.

_"That's strange, I seem to recall that weakling defeating you in a duel," _jabbed Lector.

_"It doesn't matter," _Johnson said. _"I'm about to hit them with a legal technicality."

* * *

_

"Seeing as how there are four of you and only one of us, I propose a handicap in our favor," Johnson told the Duelists.

"What kind of handicap?" Amara asked scowling.

"Our life points, you will start with 4000 while we start with 8000."

"That's totally unfair," Amara protested.

"Take it or leave it," Johnson said.

"We'll take it," Yami-Yugi said. "Don't worry, everyone, we'll get through this together."

The cards scrolled in front of them and they each started to pick their decks. As Joey searched around for his monsters, he spotted Cyber Harpie (1) towards the edge. He briefly recalled Mai's defeat at the hands of Yami-Marik and Johnson impersonating her. He picked it. _Mai, I promise that as soon as we get out of this virtual dump, I'll rescue you. In the mean time, I hope this makes it like you're dueling along side us._

"Next, you must each choose a Deck Master," Gansley instructed.

"Then I choose the Dark Magician (2)," Yugi said.

"I'll pick Flame Swordsman," Joey announced.

"Wingweaver (3) for me."

"And I choose D.D. Warrior Lady (4)," Amara said. The four Deck Masters appeared behind their respective Duelists.

"We'll be rotating our Deck Masters," Gansley said. "I'll start off with Deep Sea Warrior. Now that we're all set, let's get down to business."

"Yeah, let's duel," Harold agreed.

(Y: 4000)  
(J: 4000)  
(H: 4000)  
(A: 4000)  
(6: 8000)

"I'll start by playing the field magic card known as A Legendary Ocean." Tea, Duke, and Serenity quickly ran for the nearest mesa as the field around the Duelists became engulfed with water.

"I don't think I'm waterproof," Tristan said perched on Serenity's shoulder.

"Next I summon The Legendary Fisherman (5)!" A burly man riding a shark and holding a spear appeared.

"It's Mako's monster," Joey realized. Then he said, "Wait a minute that monster has five stars and you need to sacrifice a monster to summon it!"

"Not with their field magic card," Yami-Yugi explained.

"Huh?"

"He's right," Amara said. "A Legendary Ocean can downgrade all monsters' level by one making The Legendary Fisherman easier to summon."

"Plus it raises its attack and defense power."

(TLF: 1850-2050)

"I'll go next," Joey said drawing his sixth card. _So far, I don't have any monsters that can beat it, I'll have to play defense for now. _"I summon Alligator Sword (6) in defense mode!" A humanoid alligator wearing armor appeared with its arms crossed.

"I'll go next," Yami-Yugi decided. "I summon Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts (7) in defense mode." A lion-like creature appeared perched on its hind legs. "Harold, you're up."

"Got it," Harold said. "I summon Mystical Elf in defense mode followed by one card face-down. That's all for now."

"Don't forget about me," Amara said as she started her turn. "I summon Kanan the Swordmistress in defense mode. That ends my turn."

"Then I guess it's my turn again," Gansley said.

* * *

_"Hold on, Gansley!"_

_"What is it, Crump, can't you see I'm working."_

_"Let me take over."_

_"Why?"_

_"Look, I crunched the numbers and I conclude that my Deck Master is more suited for the monster on the field than yours."_

_"Oh fine."

* * *

_

"Okay, time for some penguin power."

"Oh gross, it's Crump," Tea said shivering.

"I'm glad to see my reputation precedes me. First order of business is to change Deck Masters." Deep Sea Warrior disappeared and Nightmare Penguin appeared.

"Beat that flipper-footed freak," Tea called to the Duelists.

"Easier said than done," Crump said. "Because with Nightmare Penguin on the field, all water monsters get an additional 200 point boost."

(TLF: 2050-2250)

"Legendary Fisherman, attack Yugi's King of Mythical Beasts now!" The Legendary Fisherman threw his spear and skewered Gazelle. "Next I activate the magic card Double Attack which allows him to attack again. Legendary Fisherman, attack Mystical Elf!" Mystical Elf was also stabbed. "Last, I summon Catapult Turtle (8) in defense mode." Catapult Turtle was also increased by Nightmare Penguin and A Legendary Ocean.

(CT: 1000-1400, 2000-2200)

"We've got to get rid of that magic card," Joey said. "Before we have to say bye-bye to our bodies."

"Yeah, but how?" Harold asked.

* * *

When The Council of 6 first appeared, Kaiba took the opportunity of everyone being distracted to sneak off to look for Mokuba. But something was nagging at his mind, Noah. There was no way a kid like him could be Gozaburo's son. He last saw Gozaburo about six years ago so Noah should be about his age, yet when Kaiba finally got a full glimpse of him during Joey's duel, he clearly looked only a little bit older than Mokuba. 

Kaiba's first thought was that Noah was lying. It was a definite possibility and wouldn't be the first time someone lied to him to get what they wanted. But why go through such an elaborate set-up like all this just to prove a lie?

Kaiba's next thought was that the Big-5 put him up to it but he immediately dismissed that thought, believing that those fools didn't have a collective brain cell to devise something like this.

His third theory, Kaiba didn't even want to entertain, dismissing it as Yugi's superstitious nonsense rubbing off on him. The thought was that Noah was dead and this was his ghost who refused to cross over. But even if there were such things as ghosts, they wouldn't be able to inhabit computers. There was something he was missing, some piece of the puzzle he overlooked. But until he found Mokuba, Noah's origins and filial claims would have to wait.

* * *

"It's now my turn," Joey said. He drew the trap card Kunai with Chain. "I set one card face-down and summon Cyber Harpie in attack mode!" 

"That's one of Mai's cards," Amara realized.

_Poor Joey, _Tea thought. _He must really care about her if he chose to play her favorite card. _She looked across to Yami-Yugi. _I kind of know how he feels._

_This is for you, Mai. _"Finally I switch my Alligator Sword to attack mode."

"Please tell me that was an accidental move," Amara said.

"No, I think he meant to do that," Harold said looking at Joey's face-down card.

"I end my turn," Joey announced.

"Fine, then it's my move," Yami-Yugi said. _I don't have anything I can use to destroy his Legendary Fisherman, I'll just have to rely on Joey's face-down card for now. _From the looks on their faces, Harold and Amara were thinking the same thing or at least Amara was. "For my move, I'll also summon a Mystical Elf in defense mode. That ends my turn."

"I don't know about you guys but I'm sick of being waterlogged. I think it's time for a change of scenery. So I'll replace your Legendary Ocean with a field magic card of my own, Fusion Gate!" The water dried up and they were now standing on a grid.

(LF: 2250-2050)  
(CT: 1400-1200)

"With Fusion Gate, I can combine two monsters without the use of a Polymerization card. All I have to do is remove them from play. And now I think I'll take a cue from Serenity's book and combine Marie the Fallen One and The Forgiving Maiden to form St. Joan." The warrior monster that defeated Nesbitt appeared. "St. Joan, attack his Legendary Fisherman with Heaven's Saber!" St. Joan charged forward and destroyed the water monster.

(Y: 4000)  
(J: 4000)  
(H: 4000)  
(A: 4000)  
(6: 7250)

"That ends my turn," Harold announced.

* * *

_"You idiot," _Johnson called Crump. _"You allowed him to destroy your best monster!"_

_"Shut up, I know what I'm doing," Crump snapped.

* * *

_

"I guess it's my turn," Amara said as she drew a new card. "I play the magic card Hinotama which deals 200 points of direct damage to you." Crump was pelted with fireballs.

(Y: 4000)  
(J: 4000)  
(H: 4000)  
(A: 4000)  
(6: 7050)

"That ends my turn." _I probably shouldn't use up my best cards on the spot, I'm sure they have their powerful monsters in their deck.

* * *

_

_"It's my turn," _Johnson said.

_"Back off," _Crump said pushing him aside.

* * *

"My move," Crump announced. "I'll sacrifice my Catapult Turtle so I can summon Terrorking Salmon (9) in attack mode!" 

(TS: 2400-2600)

"I then activate another A Legendary Ocean card powering it up."

(TS: 2600-2800)

"Terrorking Salmon, destroy St. Joan!"

"St. Joan, retaliate," Harold ordered. Terrorking Salmon bit down on St. Joan's arm at the same time St. Joan stabbed her sword into the Salmon's head. Both monsters were destroyed.

"I then play Ocean of Rejuvenation to bring back Terrorking Salmon. You see, when it comes to numbers, nobody is better than me!"

"We'll see," Joey said starting his turn. "All righty then, I play the magic card Harpie's Feather Duster!"

"That's another of Mai's cards," Harold told Amara. All the magic and trap cards on Crump's side of the field were destroyed.

(TS: 2800-2600)

"That should help even the odds a little. Yugi?"

"Right," Yami-Yugi said drawing a card. "I play Monster Reborn to revive Gazelle and I'll sacrifice it and Mystical Elf to summon Buster Blader (10) in attack mode followed by the magic card called Legendary Sword which powers it up by 300 points!"

(BB: 2600-2900)

"Buster Blader, attack Terrorking Salmon now!" Buster Blader sliced Terrorking Salmon in half.

"I never liked fish," Amara said jokingly.

(Y: 4000)  
(J: 4000)  
(H: 4000)  
(A: 4000)  
(6: 6750)

"That ends my turn. Harold, prepare for an attack."

"I understand, Yugi," Harold said. "I summon Venus the Agent of Creation (11) in defense mode and I'll use her special ability to summon two Mystical Shine Balls (12) also in defense mode." Harold's three monsters appeared.

(Y: 4000)  
(J: 4000)  
(H: 3000)  
(A: 4000)  
(6: 6750)

"I also set one card face-down and end my turn."

Amara drew a card, "I summon Maiden's Siren (13) in defense mode. And that's it."

Crump still wasn't giving up. "First I play Aqua Torrent which lets me summon the top water monster from my deck. Now I summon High-Tide Gyojin (14) in attack mode. Next, I play the magic card Non-Spellcasting Area, now none of us can play magic cards. The only exceptions are field magic cards and Deck Master abilities!"

(HTG: 1850-2250)

"High-Tide Gyojin, attack his Cyber Harpie now!"

_"Crump, wait," _Lector called out. But it was too late.

"I reveal my face-down card Kunai with Chain. It stops your monster's attack and raises my Cyber Harpie's attack power."

(CH: 1800-2300)

Cyber Harpie destroyed Gyojin.

(Y: 4000)  
(J: 4000)  
(H: 3000)  
(A: 4000)  
(6: 6700)

"That move was for you, Mai," Joey said.

"We're doing great, guys," Harold said. "But we still have a long way to go. They still have more life points than us and if we're going to stay as we are, then we're going to have to hit them fast and hard."

"Right," the others said.

To Be Continued.

* * *

Duel Monster Database 

(1)  
Name: Cyber Harpie (Cyber Harpie Lady)  
Level: 4  
Type: Winged-Beast/Effect  
Attribute: Wind  
ATK: 1800  
DEF: 1300

(2)  
Name: Dark Magician  
Level: 7  
Type: Spellcaster  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 2500  
DEF: 2100  
Deck Master Ability:  
Knife Trick: Once per turn, if you have a Dark Magician face-up on your side of the field, activate this Deck Master Ability to flip a coin. If it's heads, destroy 1 monster on the field.  
Double Cast: Once per game, activate this Deck Master Ability when you activate a Spell and Trap card to use the effect of the Spell or Trap card twice upon its activation, instead of only once.

(3)  
Name: Wingweaver  
Level: 7  
Type: Fairy  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 2750  
DEF: 2400  
Deck Master Ability: Ascension of Serapheem: Once per game, activate this Deck Master's ability by removing normal light monsters in your hand or your deck whose level equals 10 or more. You may special summon 1 Serapheem from your hand or deck with the magic card Heavenly Light without sacrificing Wingweaver.

(4)  
Name: D.D. Warrior Lady  
Level: 4  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 1500  
DEF: 1600  
Deck Master Ability: Reappointment from Another Earth: Downgrade all Warrior-Type monsters in your hand and on the field by 2 levels.

(5)  
Name: The Legendary Fisherman  
Level: 5  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attribute: Water  
ATK: 1850  
DEF: 1600

(6)  
Name: Alligator Sword  
Level: 4  
Type: Reptile  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 1500  
DEF: 1200

(7)  
Name: Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts  
Level: 4  
Type: Beast  
Attribute; Earth  
ATK: 1500  
DEF: 1200

(8)  
Name: Catapult Turtle  
Level: 5  
Type: Aqua/Effect  
Attribute: Water  
ATK: 1000  
DEF: 2000

(9)  
Name: Terrorking Salmon  
Level: 5  
Type: Fish  
Attribute: Water  
ATK: 2400  
DEF: 1000

(10)  
Name: Buster Blader  
Level: 7  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 2600  
DEF: 2300

(11)  
Name: Venus the Agent of Creation  
Level: 3  
Type: Fairy/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 1600  
DEF: 0

(12)  
Name: Mystical Shine Ball  
Level: 2  
Type: Fairy  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 500  
DEF: 500

(13)  
Name: Maiden's Siren  
Level: 5  
Type: Aqua/Effect  
Attribute: Water  
ATK: 2150  
DEF: 2200

(14)  
Name: High-Tide Gyojin  
Level: 4  
Type: Aqua  
Attribute: Water  
ATK: 1650  
DEF: 1300

A/N 1: I know, I know, the name is crappy. It was the best I could think of on such short notice. Besides, I wanted to avoid copyrighted names like the Sinister 6 or the Council of Elders. If you guys have a better name, I'm all ears.


	18. The Alliance Pt 2

Yu-Gi-Oh! Avatar

Fanfic Chapter 132: The Alliance Pt 2: Target: Yugi and Amara  
Episode Basis: Merger of the Big-5 Pt 2

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh! Nesbitt showed up in Tristan's body and challenged Yugi to a duel. But this time, he wasn't alone: Kimo and the other members of the Big-5 have joined him forming the Council of 6. With so many strong opponents, Yugi would definitely need some support on this one. Joey, Harold, and Amara joined in and together they squared off. Gansley went first and then Crump took over. But using cleverness and a card belonging to an old friend, they were able to beat back Crump's assaults. But with 8000 life points, they still have a long way to go.

* * *

_"Give it up, Crump," _Nesbitt said. _"You're bumbling cost us almost 2000 life points!"_

_"No, this can't be happening," _Crump complained. _"My calculations were perfect."_

_"It's obvious that this is something mere numbers alone can not solve," Johnson said straightening his tie. "I believe it's time I take the stand and turn the trial in my favor."_

_"And just how do you plan to do that, wise guy?" _Kimo asked.

_"By attacking Mister Wheeler."_

_"Hah, that's a joke, you couldn't beat Wheeler last time, what makes you think this time will be any different?"_

_"Because this time I won't be attacking Joseph." _The other men stared at him oddly. _"Young Joseph considers his friendship with the others very important. So if I concentrate my attacks on them, Mister Wheeler's dueling prowess will decrease enabling him to be plucked off by even the most weakest of Duelists."_

_"Do it," _Kimo ordered.

* * *

"Greetings, my friends," Johnson greeted.

"Oh no," Joey moaned. "It's Johnson."

"Correct, and I am now going to take over for my less civilized companion."

_"I heard that!"_

"Those business geeks are sharing my body like it's a corporate condo," Tristan complained.

"I'll switch Nightmare Penguin for a more capable Deck Master: my own Deck Master Judge Man." The Deck Masters were switched. "First I play Card of Sanctity which lets all draw from our decks until we're holding six cards! Next I play Cure Master raising my life points by 1000!"

(Y: 4000)  
(J: 4000)  
(H: 3000)  
(A: 4000)  
(6: 7700)

"Next I activate my Deck Master's special ability." Joey groaned. "That's right, Mister Wheeler, you should be afraid. By giving up 1000 life points…"

(Y: 4000)  
(J: 4000)  
(H: 3000)  
(A: 4000)  
(6: 6700)

"I can activate Clear the Courtroom!" All the monsters exploded. "Not only does Clear the Courtroom destroy all your monsters but it deducts 500 life points per monster!"

(Y: 3500)  
(J: 3000)  
(H: 1500)  
(A: 3000)  
(6: 6700)

"Next I set one monster card face-down and one other card face-down. That ends my turn. Whether in the courtroom, boardroom, or on the dueling field, I am the master."

_This guy is really ticking me off. I have to attack this guy now, _Joey thought as he drew Little-Winguard. "I summon Little-Winguard in attack mode. Attack his monster!"

"Joey, wait," Yami-Yugi called. But it was too late, as Johnson's face-down monster was revealed, Magician of Faith (1).

"By turning over my Magician of Faith, you let me retrieve a magic card from my graveyard and I'll take A Legendary Ocean." _On my next turn, I'll play A Legendary Ocean and then I'll summon Catapult Turtle again and finish these fools off!_

"Sorry, Yugi, I goofed," Joey apologized.

"Don't worry, Joey," Yami-Yugi assured his friend. "It's all right. We're still in this duel. And it's my move!" He drew a card. "I summon Kuriboh in defense mode and activate the magic card Card Destruction. Now we all must deposit our hands into the graveyard and draw from our decks the same number of cards." _I need to get some strong monsters on the field, but to do so I need to sacrifice weak ones. I just hope Johnson doesn't decide to go after Joey before I can protect him._

_I need to get my life points up if I'm going to stay in this game, _Harold thought as he drew a card. "I play the magic card Cure Master which raises my life points by 1000."

(Y: 3500)  
(J: 3000)  
(H: 2500)  
(A: 3000)  
(6: 6700)

"I summon Spirit of the Harp in defense mode. That ends my turn."

"Don't worry guys, I've got this covered," Amara said. "I summon Penumbral Soldier Lady (2) in attack mode!"

"Wait a second, that's a six star monster," Johnson argued.

"Very observant, but D.D. Warrior Lady's Deck Master Ability lowers the stars of all corresponding monsters in my hand by two levels. Therefore, I can summon level 6 monsters normally. You thought you were the only ones with level lowering cards? Well think again! Penumbral Soldier Lady, attack him directly!"

"Reveal trap card: Draining Shield," Johnson commanded. "Draining Shield not only cancels your attack but it raises my life points by an amount equal to your monster's attack points."

(Y: 3500)  
(J: 3000)  
(H: 2500)  
(A: 3000)  
(6: 8800)

"Now he's more powerful than when he started off," Harold said. "I don't like this."

"If you don't like this, Mister Kumara, you're going to hate what happens next. Because it's my move!" Johnson drew a card. "I play the magic card Premature Burial to bring back Catapult Turtle!"

(Y: 3500)  
(J: 3000)  
(H: 2500)  
(A: 3000)  
(6: 8000)

"And before I forget, I activate Clear the Courtroom again!"

(Y: 3000)  
(J: 2500)  
(H: 2000)  
(A: 2500)  
(6: 7000)

"Next I summon Hysteric Fairy in attack mode. Hysteric Fairy, attack the young lady directly." The Hysteric Fairy fired eye beams at Amara which hit her in the chest.

(Y: 3000)  
(J: 2500)  
(H: 2000)  
(A: 700)  
(6: 7000)

"Then I'll use Catapult Turtle's effect to launch Hysteric Fairy right at Yugi Moto!" Hysteric Fairy was launched from Catapult Turtle and collided directly into Yami-Yugi.

(Y: 2100)  
(J: 2500)  
(H: 2000)  
(A: 700)  
(6: 7000)

"Now you see what my plan is, Joseph? I intend to eliminate your friends one at a time until you're all alone. With nobody to back you up, you will have no choice but to declare a mistrial… excuse me, a forfeit."

"As if."

Johnson chuckled. "Now I set one card face-down and end my turn."

_I can't let him keep attacking Yugi and Amara like that. _Joey drew a card, "I summon Rocket Warrior in attack mode and next I'll use my Deck Master's special ability to transfer 1000 attack points to Rocket Warrior."

(FS: 1800-800)  
(RW: 1500-2500)

"Rocket Warrior, destroy his turtle!" Rocket Warrior transformed into its invincible mode and struck Catapult Turtle destroying it.

(Y: 2100)  
(J: 2500)  
(H: 2000)  
(A: 700)  
(6: 7000)

"I reveal my face-down card, Revenge Sacrifice. Revenge Sacrifice lets me destroy the monster that just attacked and summon a monster from my hand. And I summon Machine King!"

"We're in trouble, guys," Harold said. "Machine King gets stronger with every machine monster on the field including itself!"

(MK: 2200-2300)

"Yugi, looks like it's up to you, bud."

"I'll try my best," Yami-Yugi said. _My monster Des Voltsgalf _(3)_ is able to destroy Machine King but he's a six-star monster so I need to sacrifice to summon it. The problem is I don't have any monsters to sacrifice. _Yami-Yugi drew the monster card Rock Spirit (4). _Rock Spirit can be special summoned which means I can use it as a sacrifice monster but I need to remove an earth-based monster from my graveyard. Since Buster Blader was destroyed a few turns ago, I can remove it. And with my Mirror Force trap card, I think I can lure him into a trap. _"First I remove my Buster Blader from the game so I can summon The Rock Spirit in attack mode and then I'll sacrifice the Rock Spirit in order to summon Des Voltsgalf!" A large red and black dragon appeared. "Finally I set one card face-down and end my turn."

_What's Yugi thinking? _Joey wondered. _His monster has only 2200 attack points, 100 points weaker than Machine King. He must want Johnson to attack. But Johnson's not stupid, he can see that from a mile away. Yugi must want to spring his trap but if I can see that, then so can Johnson. _Joey desperately (and not at all discreetly) tried to tell Yugi that his move was a bad one.

"What's with Joey?" Serenity asked. "Did something crawl into his pants?"

"Wouldn't be the first time," Tristan cracked.

"He must be trying to warn Yugi," Duke figured. "Look, see Yugi's face-down card? That's obviously a trap card and Yugi wants Johnson to attack him in hopes of setting it off. But if I could see that strategy, then so could Johnson and he could easily counter it if he wanted to."

"That doesn't sound like Yugi," Tea commented. "He's usually more cunning in his dueling strategies than that."

_Little-Yugi must want me to attack so he can spring his trap, a foolish and costly mistake. _"It has been my observation that children are unequipped to deal with strategies in a duel. You can only think one step at a time while I, with my superior intellect, am always two moves ahead of all four of you. Go ahead and make your move, Mister Kumara, not that it'll do any good."

"My move," Harold said. But as he moved to draw a card, he realized that his arm was visibly shaking and he knew why.

And so did Johnson.

"It appears that Mister Kumara is already failing in his testimony," Johnson noted. "It looks like he is about to be the first of you four to be dismissed. Perhaps it's just as better, everyone knows you're not a Duelist, you're only making things harder for your friends."

_Johnson's right, Amara is only 700 life points away from losing and Yugi and Joey are not fairing any better. These are real professional Duelists, not guys who were just in the right place at the right time like me. What hope do I have? Maybe they'll be better off if they don't have to look after me. I was fairing much better as a cheerleader than a Duelist. _"Yugi… I don't know if I can do this, I've never been in a duel of this magnitude before. Maybe… maybe I should…"

"Don't you dare quit on me now, Harold," Yami-Yugi said firmly. "Remember, you're not in this alone. I'm with you, and so are Joey and Amara. Plus don't forget if we lose, what hope do they have." Yami-Yugi gestured to Tea, Serenity, and Duke on the mesa. "If we lose, they lose. Do you care about them, Harold?" Harold nodded. "Then stay in this duel. And if you're still not sure, remember what I said during my Dungeon Dice Monsters game with Duke…"

* * *

_"Thank you, thank you both, I have forgotten how I became Duelist Kingdom Champion in the first place and that was by believing in my heart, and just as I put my heart into my dueling deck, so do I put my heart, and the hearts of everyone I have come across, into my dice."

* * *

_

"Your heart is your strongest source of power, Harold, use it, call upon it, and don't be afraid to rely on it. The hearts of your friends are in your heart, Harold, so it will decide your fate, not the lies of an underhanded lawyer."

"I'm simply pointing out an observation," Johnson commented. "Next to Wheeler, he's the weakest Duelist of the four of you! In fact, he hasn't shown any evidence that he's worthy to call himself a Duelist!"

But Yami-Yugi's words struck a chord in Harold's heart. He could feel the confidence emanating from his friend just like Yugi did in his Dungeon Dice Monsters game. He nodded. _Just like Yugi, I must put my heart into the cards! _Harold drew a card. "I'll show you who's not worthy! I summon Shining Angel (4) in attack mode. I end my turn."

"Then it's my move," Amara said. _Perfect, I need to get my life points out of the red. _"I set a card face-down. Don't worry about me, Harold, you just concentrate on winning. Your time will come."

"Thanks, Amara."

"Your time is up," Johnson said as he drew a card.

* * *

_"Move it, Johnson, it's my turn to duel."_

_"No, Nesbitt, wait, we need strategy, not brute force!"_

_"Save it, Johnson, I'm dueling and that's that!"

* * *

_

"I'll be dueling now!" Nesbitt announced.

"Nesbitt," Harold said seething.

"Yes, and now it's time to add a little mechanical mayhem courtesy of me and Robotic Knight." The Deck Masters were switched.

"What's that Deck Master Ability?" Amara asked.

"Bad news," Harold replied.

"Bad for you, good for me, for by discarding machine monsters from my hand, I'm able to activate Final Artillery." The four machine monsters, Cyber Falcon (5), Amphibious Bugroth Mk. 3 (6), Helping Robo for Combat (7), and Roboyarou (8), appeared and shot blasts of energy at all of them dealing 500 points of direct damage.

(Y: 1600)  
(J: 2000)  
(H: 1500)  
(A: 200)  
(6: 7000)

"First I play the magic card Mystical Space Typhoon which can destroy one magic or trap card on the field and I choose Yugi's face-down card." Yami-Yugi's face-down Mirror Force trap card was destroyed. "Now, Machine King, attack Yugi's monster now."

* * *

_"No, Nesbitt, don't do it," _Lector warned.

* * *

But it was too late. As Machine King launched an attack, Yami-Yugi chuckled, "You fell for my trap!"

"But I destroyed your trap card."

"Which I wanted you to do, because by using a magic card, you activated Des Voltsgalf's special power, raising its attack points by 200!"

(DV: 2200-2400)

"Des Voltsgalf, counter attack with Circle Flame!" The dragon blew a stream of fire which surrounded Machine King and destroyed it.

(Y: 1600)  
(J: 2000)  
(H: 1500)  
(A: 200)  
(6: 6900)

"Not only that; but Des Voltsgalf deals 500 points of direct damage whenever it destroys a monster."

(Y: 1600)  
(J: 2000)  
(H: 1500)  
(A: 200)  
(6: 6400)

"It's no big deal," Nesbitt said. "I still have plenty of life points."

* * *

_"You idiot, you fell for Yugi's trap,"_Lector berated.

_"How was I supposed to know his monster had a special ability?" _Nesbitt rebuked.

_"It's not that, you only attacked Yugi when you should've been attacking the girl."_

_"Huh?"

* * *

_

"That's it!" Duke realized.

"What's it?" Tea asked.

"It was all a rouse. Yugi set that face-down card knowing the Council of 6 would use a magic card to destroy it and trigger his dragon's power. But what's more, Yugi deliberately made himself the target so that Amara would stay in the game. She has only 200 life points left and would've lost the duel if Yugi hadn't given Nesbitt a more tempting target."

"Is that true, Yugi?" Amara asked. Yami-Yugi nodded, "Thanks, I owe you big time."

"The one you should be thanking is Joey." Yami-Yugi told him. "It was your acting that helped fooled him. He would've figured out it was a trap otherwise."

"Wow, my Big Brother is so smart," Serenity gushed. "I would've never been able to figure it out."

"Way to go, Joey," Tea called.

Joey blushed, "Uh… well… just glad I could help." He mentally breathed a sigh of relief. _I'm just glad nobody's singling me out. _"Okay, my move," he said. He drew Panther Warrior. _Panther Warrior is good, but he can't attack unless I sacrifice another monster and I don't have any so I can only play him in defense mode. _"I summon Panther Warrior in defense mode, you're up, Yug."

"Okay," Yami-Yugi said as he drew a card. He looked up at Tristan. "I'm sorry, Tristan, but in order to win this duel, I'm going to have to attack!"

"I understand, Yug, do what you have to do, just don't aim for the hair!" Tristan hid his face in Serenity's shirt.

"Des Voltsgalf, attack his life points directly with Circle Flame!" This time, it was Nesbitt who was hit.

(Y: 1600)  
(J: 2000)  
(H: 1500)  
(A: 200)  
(6: 4200)

"Finally I summon Big-Shield Gardna (9) in defense mode. That ends my turn."

"Then I guess it's my move," Harold said. "I set one card face-down and end my turn!"

"Then I'll start my turn out by playing Lady in Waiting (10) in defense mode and one other card face-down. That ends my turn."

* * *

_"Nesbitt, if you know what's good for you, you would attack the girl now," _Kimo ordered.

_"Shut up, Kimo, you're not my boss!"_

_"Master Noah says I am."_

Nesbitt cursed.

* * *

"I play Gemini Elf in attack mode along with the magic card Big Bang Shot increasing its power by 400 points!"

(GE: 1900-2300)

"Gemini Elf, attack her right now!"

"She's going to lose," Tea cried as the two elves rushed straight at her, hands charged with energy.

To Be Continued.

* * *

Duel Monster Database

(1)  
Name: Magician of Faith  
Level: 1  
Type: Spellcaster/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 300  
DEF: 400

(2)  
Name: Penumbral Soldier Lady  
Level: 6  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attribute; Dark  
ATK: 2100  
DEF: 1400

(3)  
Name: Des Voltsgalf  
Level: 6  
Type: Dragon/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 2200  
DEF: 1500

(4)  
Name: Shining Angel  
Level: 4  
Type: Fairy/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 1400  
DEF: 800

(5)  
Name: Cyber Falcon  
Level: 4  
Type: Machine  
Attribute: Wind  
ATK: 1400  
DEF: 1200

(6)  
Name: Amphibious Bugroth Mk. 3  
Level: 4  
Type: Machine/Effect  
Attribute: Water  
ATK: 1500  
DEF: 1300

(7)  
Name: Helping Robo for Combat  
Level: 4  
Type: Machine/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 1600  
DEF: 0

(8)  
Name: Roboyarou  
Level: 3  
Type: Machine  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 900  
DEF: 450

(9)  
Name: Big-Shield Gardna  
Level: 4  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 100  
DEF: 2600

(10)  
Name: Lady in Waiting  
Level: 2  
Type: Spellcaster/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 1000  
DEF: 800  
This monster can not be destroyed by any monster with more than 2000 attack points. Once it is sent to the Graveyard, it is removed from play.


	19. The Alliance Pt 3

Yu-Gi-Oh! Avatar

Fanfic Chapter 133: The Alliance Pt 3: Working Together for Victory  
Episode Basis: Merger of the Big-5 Pt 2

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh! Johnson took over and began specifically attacking Yugi and Amara, in hopes that defeating them would weaken Joey's spirits. Stupid plan, huh? Well fortunately it didn't work because the gang was able to hold their own against Johnson's attacks. But the attacks were pretty intense, Harold felt like bowing out. But Yami-Yugi was able to convince him to remain in the game. When Nesbitt took over, Yami-Yugi was able to trick him into attacking him and not Amara. The plan worked at least until Nesbitt launched an attack against Amara with a monster with enough attack points to eliminate her for good. Will Amara be the first to go?

* * *

Everyone watched in horror as the Gemini Elf monster rushed towards Amara. She stared down the twin monsters defiantly. 

"Amara!"

"I reveal my face-down card, Enchanted Javelin," Amara cried. A long spear appeared in Amara's hand and started to absorb the energy attack. "In case you're wondering, it behaves kind of like your Draining Shield trap card, raising my life points by the attacking monster's attack points."

(Y: 1600)  
(J: 2000)  
(H: 1500)  
(A: 2500)  
(6: 4200)

However, because of Big Bang Shot's ability, Amara still lost 1500 life points.

(Y: 1600)  
(J: 2000)  
(H: 1500)  
(A: 1000)  
(6: 4200)

"You won't be able to destroy my monster either, Lady in Waiting's special ability prevents her from being destroyed by any monster with over 2000 attack points which your monster qualifies under since you played Big Bang Shot."

"You tricked me!" Nesbitt cried.

"That's the point of a trap card, genius! Deal with it."

* * *

_"Nesbitt, you have been nothing but trouble from the moment you took over," _Kimo said. _"So I'm taking over now."_

_"No, you can't!"_

_"Watch me."

* * *

_

"Finally, my chance for revenge has arrived!"

"Hey, Pencil Head," Harold exclaimed like he was actually glad to see the thug. "How's that bruise?"

"I will take great pleasure in tearing you apart piece by piece, Watcher" Kimo said. "First thing I'll do is remove Robotic Knight and replace it with the monster Gemini Archfiend." The two monsters flanked Kimo. "And you know what that mean, don't you?"

"Guys, watch out," Amara called. "Gemini Archfiend enables attacking monsters to attack again!"

"Gemini Elf, attack his Shining Angel." The two elves surrounded the angel and fired energy beams destroying it.

(Y: 1600)  
(J: 2000)  
(H: 600)  
(A: 1000)  
(6: 4200)

"Sorry, Charlie, but when you destroyed my Shining Angel, you activated his special ability enabling me to summon a light monster from my deck. Now I summon Light-Speed Angel (1) in attack mode. Light-Speed Angel can attack your life points directly the moment it's summoned to the field! Light-Speed Angel, Photon Rush attack!" The dark-skinned angel with ankle wings and a white toga transformed into a beam of light and was fired directly at Kimo's chest.

(Y: 1600)  
(J: 2000)  
(H: 600)  
(A: 1000)  
(6: 3000)

(LSA: 1200-600)

"Next I reveal my trap card Rope of Life which brings back my Shining Angel with 800 more attack points. Of course I need to discard my entire hand to do so."

(SA: 1400-2200)

"I place two cards face-down and play the magic card Altar of Mist."

"Oh no," Yami-Yugi gasped.

"What does that card do?" Harold asked.

"When it remains on the field for three turns, Altar of Mist enables him to play any ritual magic card he wants," Yami-Yugi explained. _And it can't be destroyed by anything!_

"Yugi, what about your dragon?" Amara reminded him.

"That's right, Des Voltsgalf gains 200 attack points when a magic card is played!"

(DV: 2200-2400)

_Des Voltsgalf should be able to hold off his Gemini Elf but both Harold and Amara are less than 1000 life points away from losing their bodies and Joey and I are in no better positions. We'll have to prepare our defenses if we're going to survive another round. _"Joey, it's your move."

"You got it, Yug." _Okay, its crunch time, I can't screw this up; I don't want to end up a robot monkey like Tristan. _"I play Silent Doom which lets me bring a monster back from the graveyard and I choose my Alligator Sword. That ends my turn."

_Joey must have no more good moves he can make, _Yami-Yugi figured. _That means it's up to me. _Yami-Yugi drew a card. "I sacrifice my Big-Shield Gardna so I can summon my Dark Magician Girl! Des Voltsgalf, attack his Gemini Elf with Circle Flame!" The dragon destroyed the elves.

(Y: 1600)  
(J: 2000)  
(H: 600)  
(A: 1000)  
(6: 2400)

"Dark Magician Girl, attack his life points directly!" Dark Magician Girl fired a beam of energy which blew Kimo back.

(Y: 1600)  
(J: 2000)  
(H: 600)  
(A: 1000)  
(6: 400)

"It's up to you, Harold, finish him off!"

"Right, I play Silver Bow and Arrow increasing my Shining Angel's attack power by 300 points!"

(SA: 2200-2500)

"Shining Angel, attack him directly with Silver Lightning Arrow!"

"Nice try, but I activate my face-down card Nutrient Z which raises my life points by 4000!" But the attack still struck its mark.

(Y: 1600)  
(J: 2000)  
(H: 600)  
(A: 1000)  
(6: 1900)

_Nuts, and I can't attack him directly with Light-Speed Angel because I used her special ability. Not that it would help. _"I switch my Light-Speed Angel to defense mode and end my turn."

_Jerky Boy over there must be planning something, _Amara thought. She looked at The Warrior Returning Alive card in her hand. _I could use The Warrior Returning Alive to bring back my Penumbral Soldier Lady from the graveyard, but… I don't know, he's planning for something. That Alter of Mist magic card can allow him to play any Ritual Magic Card after it's been on the field for three of his turns. It's only been one turn so far, but if we don't finish this duel now, the Big-5 could summon who knows what. _"I play The Warrior Returning Alive which returns a warrior monster to my hand and I summon my Penumbral Soldier Lady to the field in attack mode!" Her monster reappeared. "Penumbral Soldier Lady, attack his life points directly!"

"Reveal face-down card, Poison of the Old Man," Kimo cried. "This raises my life points by 1200!"

(Y: 1600)  
(J: 2000)  
(H: 600)  
(A: 1000)  
(6: 3100)

"I don't care, I'll still attack you!" Penumbral Soldier Lady slashed across Kimo's chest.

(Y: 1600)  
(J: 2000)  
(H: 600)  
(A: 1000)  
(6: 1000)

"Well, it's not a decisive victory, but it still works."

"You should've finished me off when you had the chance, because now it's my move!" Kimo drew a card. "I play Spell Reproduction which returns a magic card to my hand. And I choose Card of Sanctity." Once again, everybody drew until they had six cards. "I place three cards face-down and activate my Emergency Provisions magic card which I'll use to send two of my face-down cards to the graveyard to raise my life points by 2000!"

(Y: 1600)  
(J: 2000)  
(H: 600)  
(A: 1000)  
(6: 3000)

"Finally, I activate Swords of Revealing Light! Now none of you can attack for three turns!" The Duelists sighed. "I end my turn."

_Nuts, I was planning on sacrificing my Alligator Sword so my Panther Warrior can attack, but now that's out of the question. _"I set one card face-down and end my turn."

"I switch my Dark Magician Girl to defense mode and end my turn," Yami-Yugi said.

"I'll sacrifice my Shining Angel and Light-Speed Angel so I can summon Sanga of the Thunder (2) in defense mode," Harold said.

"And I'll equip my Penumbral Soldier Lady with Lightning Blade raising her attack power by 800 points!"

(PSL: 2100-2900)

"That ends my turn."

* * *

_"Kimo, it's time, let me finish this duel."_

_"But Lector…"_

_"I'm the only one skilled enough to wield our ultimate monster."_

_"Fine."

* * *

_

"Greetings, boys and girls, the name's Lector and I'll be taking over for the remainder of the duel. Now it's my move."

"Reveal trap card…"

"We'll have none of that," Lector said as all trap cards exploded. Jinzo appeared. "Have you forgotten my Deck Master? He destroys all trap cards on the field. And next I'll summon Injection Fairy Lily in attack mode."

"What's that shrimp supposed to do?" Joey asked.

"I'll show you. I'll give up 2000 life points…"

(Y: 1600)  
(J: 2000)  
(H: 600)  
(A: 1000)  
(6: 1000)

"To increase Lily's attack points by 3000…"

(IFL: 400-3400)

Lily's syringe actually got bigger (so big that she could barely hold it). "And I'll have her attack Yugi's Des Voltsgalf!" Lily threw her syringe and it struck the dragon's chest. The green liquid drained into the monster and it was destroyed.

(Y: 400)  
(J: 2000)  
(H: 600)  
(A: 1000)  
(6: 1000)

"I also play Sebek's blessing which raises my life points by the same amount you lost."

(Y: 400)  
(J: 2000)  
(H: 600)  
(A: 1000)  
(6: 2200)

"That ends my turn."

The Duelists still couldn't do anything. Joey and Yugi passed their turns. Harold, in a desperate attempt to keep his life points from being attacked, played Soul of the Pure which raised his life points by 800. He then played Spirit of the Pot of Greed (3) in defense mode.

(Y: 400)  
(J: 2000)  
(H: 1400)  
(A: 1000)  
(6: 2200)

Amara activated her Umbilical Cable magic card which she used to transfer half of her life points to Yugi.

(Y: 900)  
(J: 2000)  
(H: 1400)  
(A: 500)  
(6: 2200)

"This is getting hard to watch," Tristan said. "I don't know how much more my body can take."

"What about our friends?" Tea asked harshly. "Their bodies are on the line too!"

"At least they're human!"

"Now he can activate his fairy's special ability," Yami-Yugi said.

"That's right, and with Jinzo on the field, none of you can use your trap cards!"

"Any ideas, guys?" Amara asked.

"I'm drawing a blank," Harold replied.

"I place two cards face-down. My turn is done as well as the Swords of Revealing Light."

"As long as he has that Fairy, he can just use his life points to increase her attack points!"

"Attack points aren't everything, Joey," Yami-Yugi reminded him.

_That's right, _Joey realized. _His Fairy's special ability only increases her attack points, not her defense points. So if I play Block Attack, I can shift her into defense mode so the others can waste her. _"My move."

"Reveal trap card: Gravity Bind!" The entire ground started shaking. "Gravity Bind prevents all monsters with four stars or higher from attacking."

"Hey wait a second, Jinzo should've destroyed that card," Joey complained.

"Since Jinzo is my Deck Master, its special ability only affects my opponent's trap cards."

Joey grunted, "I hate this Deck Master system. I can still trash your fairy. I play the magic card Block Attack. This should make your Fairy more docile." Injection Fairy Lily dropped to her knees. "I then sacrifice my Alligator Sword so I can summon my own Jinzo!" Joey's Jinzo began emitting energy waves that countered Lector's Jinzo. "Your Jinzo may give you an unfair advantage but my Jinzo is fairer. I could destroy your Lily with Jinzo but I think I'll let my friends have a round. All right, Yug, you're up."

"Right," Yami-Yugi said. "Dark Magician Girl, attack his Fairy now!" Lily screamed as she was engulfed with pink energy.

"I activate another Gravity Bind trap card."

"He had two!" Amara cried.

"Jinzo, waste it!" Joey commanded. Jinzo fired a red energy beam which destroyed the Gravity Bind.

"You still can't attack."

"It doesn't matter, now your field is wide open. Harold, Amara, now!"

"Right," the two said.

"I switch Spirit of the Pot of Greed to attack mode and activate Pot of Greed. Normally, Pot of Greed lets me draw two cards but since Spirit of the Pot of Greed is also on the field, I can draw an extra card. Now I summon Emissary of the Oasis (4) in attack mode. Spirit of the Pot of Greed and Emissary of the Oasis, attack his life points directly!" The two monsters collided themselves into Lector and reformed on Harold's side of the field.

(Y: 900)  
(J: 2000)  
(H: 1400)  
(A: 500)  
(6: 1400)

"I summon Dancing Elf in attack mode. Attack his life points directly!" The elf let out a hook-kick that caught Lector in the chin.

(Y: 900)  
(J: 2000)  
(H: 1400)  
(A: 500)  
(6: 1100)

Lector got knocked down.

"Good job, everyone," Yami-Yugi congratulated. "If we keep working together like this, we'll triumph!"

But as Lector rose, the Duelists realized he was laughing.

"What's that chump laughing about now?" Joey asked.

"Have you fools forgotten, it's been three turns which means my Alter of Mists now activates! And I have just drawn the monster that will spell your doom and earn us your bodies!" Lector let out a demonic laughter.

To Be Continued

* * *

Duel Monster Database

(1)  
Name: Light-Speed Angel  
Level: 4  
Type: Fairy/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 1200  
DEF: 1500  
This monster can attack your life points the moment it is Normal Summon or Special Summon. Once you attack your opponent's life points with this monster, lower its ATK by half. This monster can not attack again if it uses this ability.

(2)  
Name: Sanga of the Thunder  
Level: 7  
Type: Thunder/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 2600  
DEF: 2200

(3)  
Name: Spirit of the Pot of Greed  
Level: 1  
Type: Fairy/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 100  
DEF: 100

(4)  
Name: Emissary of the Oasis  
Level: 3  
Type: Spellcaster/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 600  
DEF: 400


	20. The Alliance Pt 4

Yu-Gi-Oh! Avatar

Fanfic Chapter 134: The Alliance Pt 4: Slay the Dragon  
Episode Basis: Merger of The Big-5 Pt 3

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh! It was touch and go for a while, but by thinking strategically and with a little luck, the Duelists were able to survive round after round from powerful monsters like Machine King and Injection Fairy Lily. Kimo, in his turn, played Alter of Mists which, after three turns, allows him to gain any ritual magic card. And from the way Lector was laughing, the monster that he's going to summon will be an incredible one. Can the Duelists survive this or has the Council of Six finally succeeded in their hostile takeover of the kids' bodies?

* * *

"This isn't good," Amara said watching Lector laugh joyously. "We should've destroyed that Alter of Mists magic card when we had the chance."

"It wouldn't do any good, Amara," Yami-Yugi explained. "Alter of Mists can't be destroyed by monster effects, magic cards, or trap cards."

"It's time to do what my associates could not," Lector was saying. "Defeat you so we can escape!"

(Y: 900)  
(J: 2000)  
(H: 1400)  
(A: 500)  
(6: 1100)

"Thanks to Alter of Mists, I can play the Dragon Revival Ritual. Now I can summon my Five-God Dragon."

"That's not true," Yami-Yugi said.

"You're right," Lector agreed. "I must also sacrifice five monsters, each with a different attribute."

"But you have only one monster on the field, your Deck Master."

"Have you forgotten us?" Gemini Archfiend, Nightmare Penguin, Deepsea Warrior, Robotic Knight, and Judge Man appeared.

"That's right," Lector confirmed. "I'm going to sacrifice all of my comrades' Deck Masters (A). That way, I still have a Deck Master left over. So go my five Deck Masters!" The Deck Masters landed in a circle around Lector. "Now I activate Dragon Revival Ritual!" A pentagram was traced underneath the Council of 6. A large shaft of energy burst from the ground. A five-headed dragon, each head a different color and texture, rose from the ground.

"Oh man," Tristan gasped at seeing the large beast. "I think I just wet myself." The others just absentmindedly nodded their heads.

"No monster in the game that I know of is capable of defeating the Five-God Dragon!" Amara gasped.

"Joey and I have faced this beast once before."

"Yeah, and if memory serves me correctly, it cleaned our clocks."

"Very perceptive, Joseph," Lector said. "Last time, Yugi and Kaiba won by summoning Master of Dragon Soldier but this time you don't have Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon to use to summon it."

"It is strong," Yami-Yugi agreed. "But fortunately, it can not attack the turn it's summoned so we have one turn to stop it."

"Good luck in trying," Lector said as he set a card face-down. "My dragon's special ability destroys every card on my opponent's side of the field!" A large explosion threw the Duelists into their Deck Masters. All the monsters and face-down cards disappeared. "One more thing: my dragon can not be destroyed by monsters of earth, fire, wind, water, or darkness."

"That means there is only one type of creature that can defeat it," Duke realized. "A creatures of light."

Yami-Yugi, Joey, and Amara all turned to look at Harold. "Huh, who, me?" He asked.

"Harold, you are master of the light attribute monsters," Yami-Yugi pointed out. "If anybody can defeat it, you can."

"Hold on a second, the three of you all have much better monsters than I do," Harold argued. "You guys can do just fine with me playing back-up."

"But Harold, none of us have powerful light monsters at our disposal, you do," Yami-Yugi argued.

"Please, Yugi, I don't want such a responsibility. Besides…" He looked at Wingweaver. "Wingweaver's my most powerful light monster and she barely has half the attack points of that dragon."

"Hello, have you forgotten?" Amara asked knocking on the head. "I seem to remember a monster you care about a lot that was able to wipe the floor with my Soldier Lady."

"That's right," Harold muttered. "The card my friend Katy gave to me…"

_"Congratulations, Harold, you won, you beat the Four Horsemen," Katy said with a sad smile. "Unfortunately, I don't have a locator card to give you, but I do have a rare card to give you." She threw a card to Harold. "This card was given to me by my mother; she said that it often reminds her of me. I don't think the picture looks a thing like me but I'm thinking it would really help out your Wingweaver."_

"Don't worry, bud, we got your back," Joey said giving him a thumb up.

Yami-Yugi nodded. "We'll lay things out for you, but I promise it'll be your monster that will triumph over their dragon."

"You guys… really think I can do it?"

"That last attack must've shorted your short-term memory, Harold, if anybody can do it, you can."

Harold smiled. "Thanks, guys, I promise I won't let you down."

"Poor pathetic fools," Lector said. "Our dragon has over 5000 attack points and an equal amount of defense points. There are no light monsters strong enough to counter it!"

"You don't know how many of my opponents have said that and have been proven wrong," Harold said. "Guys, I won't let you down."

"Same goes for us, bud," Joey said.

"Okay, then, let's slay the Dragon! Joey, I believe it's your turn."

"Yup." Joey drew a card and looked at his hand. "I set two cards face-down and call my Deck Master to the field in attack mode!"

"That's the spirit, Joey," Yami-Yugi cheered. "Trust your Deck Master."

"If your Deck Master is destroyed, you automatically lose the duel," Lector reminded him. "But if you want to go and commit suicide, go right ahead."

"Zip it, you schizophrenic psycho," Joey said. "I end my turn."

"Then I'll go," Yami-Yugi said. "I'll play a card that seems to have been played a lot in this duel, Cure Master raising my life points by 1000."

(Y: 1900)  
(J: 2000)  
(H: 1400)  
(A: 500)  
(6: 1100)

"I also call my Deck Master to the field." Dark Magician flipped over his Duelist and landed next to Flame Swordsman. "Next I play Magical Hats to hide my Dark Magician and I'll also pay 1000 life points to hide Joey's Flame Swordsman as well." A second row of magical hats covered Joey's Deck Master.

(Y: 900)  
(J: 2000)  
(H: 1400)  
(A: 500)  
(6: 1100)

"Okay, Harold, it's all up to you now."

"Right." _Please, Katy, if you can hear me, guide my hand. _Smoothly, Harold's hand drew a card. He calmly looked at it and nodded to his friends. "I think it's time to activate a ritual magic card of my own. The ritual magic card Heavenly Light!"

"Wait a second," Serenity said. "Doesn't Heavenly Light require Harold to sacrifice his Wingweaver?"

"If his Wingweaver's sent to the graveyard, he loses!" Duke cried.

"Harold, no, don't do it!" Tristan called out but any further shouting was drowned out by monkey chatter.

"Next I call on Wingweaver to activate her Deck Master Ability." Wingweaver's wings started to glow. Light particles fell around Harold. "Thanks to Wingweaver's Deck Master Ability, I only need to remove light monsters with ten level stars all together and I can bypass the rule that requires me to sacrifice my Wingweaver."

The spectators breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now I remove Gyakutenno Megami and Guardian of the Throne Room (1) from the game to call forth my guardian angel… I summon Serapheem (2)!" Another shaft of light appeared but this time it was in front of Harold. A beautiful angel descended from the heavens. She had long flowing blonde hair and green eyes. She wore a dress that looked like it was made of light particles. She had two wings that seemed to stretch longer than she was tall. "Serapheem's special ability allows me to increase her attack points for every normal light monster in my graveyard! In case you guys weren't keeping track, that's four."

(S: 3250-4050)

"All that just to raise it by 800 life points?" Lector asked. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Remember, Harold, trust yourself, trust your cards, and trust your Deck Master. The Heart of the Cards will show you the way."

"Somehow, I understand, Yugi," Harold said. "Serapheem, attack his dragon with Ultra Luminosity!" Serapheem formed a sphere of light in her hand.

"It won't work, you'll just destroy yourself!" Lector shouted.

"Activate Mistress of the Trap Circle's (3) special ability!" Amara shouted.

"What?"

"I'll explain, when Yugi made us discard the cards in our hands due to Card Destruction, one of the cards I discarded was Mistress of the Trap Circle. Her special ability allows me to play any trap card that's in my graveyard."

"You idiot," Lector jabbed. "Have you forgotten I still have Jinzo on the field? He prevents all trap cards from being activated."

"All trap cards on the field, maybe, but not trap cards that are in my graveyard. You see, another card I discarded due to Yugi's magic card is Rising Energy which I now activate to raise Serapheem's attack power by 1500 points for this turn!"

(S: 4050-5550)

Serapheem's ball of energy grew twice its size. She thrust it at the dragon. The dragon let out a roar of pain as it slowly dissolved.

(Y: 900)  
(J: 2000)  
(H: 1400)  
(A: 1100)  
(6: 550)

"I end my turn." Harold breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Yami-Yugi. "How was that?"

"That was great, Harold," Yami-Yugi congratulated.

"Yeah, I haven't seen such great dueling since… well… me," Joey said grinning stupidly. Amara patted his back.

Harold grinned back at his friends. Then he wobbled and dropped to both knees. "Oh man… I think I'm going to be sick." He looked at the others and smiled embarrassingly. "Looks like I almost worried myself sick." He let out another embarrassing laugh.

"Take it easy, Harold, you've earned it," Yami-Yugi said with a smile. "We'll take it from here."

A loud roar came from Lector's side of the field. The Duelists turned to see a large skeletal dragon rise from the ashes of the Five-God Dragon. "Where did that thing come from?"

"How was Lector able to summon it when it wasn't his turn?" Joey asked.

"Simple, you fool," said Lector's voice. "I activated my face-down magic card A Deal with Dark Ruler. When you destroyed our dragon, you triggered its activation allowing me to summon Berserk Dragon (4)."

Berserk Dragon had 3500 attack points. And Serapheem's attack points had dropped back to their original number.

(S: 5050-3250)

"That's right, Harold Kumara, our new dragon is now more powerful than your Serapheem and as soon as our turn comes, we will unleash it against you! And you will lose the duel!"

Harold stared at the dragon fearfully.

"Don't let him rattle you, Harold," Yami-Yugi advised. "You already played a big part in destroying their Five-God Dragon. We'll help you out now."

"How?"

"By this," Amara said drawing a card. "I play the magic card Block Attack and I'll use it to switch Harold's Serapheem to defense mode." Serapheem's wings folded around her. "There, now even if Serapheem was destroyed, Harold's life points will be unaffected."

"Thanks, Amara."

"No problem, and as for you, Mister Schizo, I play the magic card Double Snare."

"Not Double Snare!" Lector gasped.

"Oh yeah, Double Snare can destroy any card that negates trap cards including your Jinzo!" Jinzo was bounded by a giant mouth. "If Jinzo's destroyed, you automatically lose the duel."

Lector just growled and held up his hand. His life points decreased by half.

(Y: 900)  
(J: 2000)  
(H: 1400)  
(A: 1100)  
(6: 275)

Jinzo remained on the field.

"Wait, why wasn't Jinzo sent to the graveyard?"

"Your magic card only works on monsters that can negate trap cards," Lector explained. "So I deactivated Jinzo's trap negating ability."

"No way! How could you do something like that?"

"One of the advance Deck Master Rules, if your Deck Master is in danger of being destroyed, you can pay half your life points to have it remained on the field. However, all of its Deck Master abilities are void."

"Did I mention that I hate this Deck Master system," Joey complained.

"Tell me about it," Harold agreed.

"Well that's just peachy," Amara said sarcastically. "I summon The Unhappy Maiden (5) in defense mode and set one card face-down. That ends my turn."

"Yes and now it ends for all of you," Lector announced. "I activate Berserk Dragon's special ability. It can attack every monster on the field even those that are hidden!"

"Oh no, they're going to lose," Serenity cried cuddling Tristan again.

"Berserk Dragon, start by destroying Yugi's Dark Magician!"

"Yugi, no!" Tea cried. "You can't lose."

"He won't lose, not if I have anything to say about it," Joey said. "Go, Flame Swordsman, shield Yugi's Magician from that attack!"

_Not again, _Harold thought. _Joey's about to sacrifice himself for Yugi the same way Tristan did for Serenity._

The Berserk Dragon launched an intense energy beam as Flame Swordsman leapt from the hat that hid him and moved in front of Yami-Yugi.

"JOEY!" Everyone cried as the entire dueling field was engulfed in light.

Serenity dropped to her knees. "No, not Joey, please not my Big Brother."

"Joey," Tristan muttered.

"Yugi," Tea said in the same tone.

"And Harold and Amara," Duke added.

"At last, I won!" Lector cried. "The Council of 6 have finally triumphed!" Lector launched into a demonic laughter.

"What you laughing about, Chuckles?" Lector gasped. Joey was still standing. Not only that, but his life points remained untouched.

"But… how…? You should've been vaporized along with your Deck Master!"

"Should've, would've, but didn't," Joey returned. "Just take a look."

The energy blast was being blocked by a simple coin.

"What did you do?"

"I activated a trap card, that's what," Joey said. "My Silver Dollar trap card prevents all weak monsters from being destroyed. I should thank you for stopping Jinzo's Deck Master Ability; it allowed me to activate it."

"I get it now," Amara said. "When Joey used his Deck Master's power-up ability to super charge his Rocket Warrior, he also made Flame Swordsman a candidate for his trap card. Way to go, Joey."

"Hey, it may not seem like it, but I'm just full of great ideas."

"Well your comeback ends now," Lector said. "Let's see how well you fare at protecting yourself. Berserk Dragon, turn your attack on Joey's Flame Swordsman!"

"Now it's my turn to do some saving," Amara said. "Reveal trap card: Staunch Defender! I'll use it to redirect the attack of Berserk Dragon to my Unhappy Maiden." The red-haired girl in a blue dress was destroyed. "When my Unhappy Maiden is destroyed, your battle phase ends immediately!"

"Thanks, Amara."

"Yes and thank you, Joey, you saved me," Yami-Yugi pointed out.

"I'm sure you would've done the same."

"It's so good seeing everyone work together like this," Tea said, relieved that Yugi and the others were still alive.

"Well I thought I was going to have a heart attack," Tristan commented.

"You're a robot, you don't have a heart," Duke pointed out.

"Okay, then, I thought I was going to blow a circuit," Tristan amended scratching the side of his head.

Lector scowled, "I end my turn."

(BD: 3500-3000)

"Hey guys, is it just me or did his dragon just get weaker?" Joey asked.

"Every time my turn ends, my dragon loses 500 attack points," Lector explained. "Not that it matters, now go!"

_I could just pass and let Harold waste it with Serapheem, _Joey thought. He looked at Harold who was panting heavily. _But I don't think Serapheem is strong enough to wipe out the rest of Lector's life points. We need to finish it off now. And Yugi and me will be the ones to do it. _Joey and Yami-Yugi shared a glance and both nodded. "I set a card face-down. All right, Yug, it's all up to you now."

"You got it, Joey. You're about to see the true power of teamwork. I play Polymerization fusing my Dark Magician with Joey's Flame Swordsman." The two Deck Masters leapt into the air and fused into one being. "Behold, the Dark Flare Knight (6)!" The new monster was dressed in black and red armor and carrying a large golden sword.

"Is that all? Your creature only has 2200 attack points. Plus Berserk Dragon retains one of the advantages of my Five-God Dragon. It can only be destroyed by a creature of light."

Harold sighed. _Looks like it's up to me again._

Amara must've sensed what Harold was thinking because she said, "Don't worry, they'll be just fine."

"We'll see," Yami-Yugi said in response to Lector's comment. "Dark Flare Knight, attack his Berserk Dragon with Dante Sword!" The warrior leapt up. Berserk Dragon fired an energy blast. As much as Dark Flare Knight tried to avoid it, it was destroyed.

But Yami-Yugi's life points didn't decrease.

"How… you must've cheated somehow!"

"That's nice coming from you, Lector," Yami-Yugi said. "A true Duelist doesn't need to cheat to win. Dark Flare Knight's special ability prevents me from receiving damage when it's destroyed. Plus it enables me to summon Mirage Knight (7)!" The warrior was now dressed in gold and blue armor. It had a face like the Dark Magician's but carried a much larger sword. Yami-Yugi smirked. "Oh by the way, it's a light monster."

"It's still not powerful enough to defeat my Berserk Dragon!"

"That's where you're wrong," Yami-Yugi rebuked. "Mirage Knight gains the attack points of whatever monster it attacks."

(MK: 2800-5800)

"And I activate the magic card Quick Attack allowing Mirage Knight to attack immediately," Joey explained activating his face-down card. "Yugi, care to do the honors?"

"Thanks, Joey. Mirage Knight, destroy his Berserk Dragon and the rest of his life points! Golden Saber Strike!" The Mirage Knight's sword shone profusely. It flew into the air and cut a line right down Berserk Dragon's center. The monster exploded with bright light.

Lector's scream was almost inhuman.

(Y: 900)  
(J: 2000)  
(H: 1400)  
(A: 500)  
(6: 0)

"It's over," Yami-Yugi announced. "We win!"

"They did it!" Serenity cried.

"I have to admit I was a little nervous," Duke said. "It was touch and go for a while but they did it."

"I knew they could do it," Tea said staring at Yami-Yugi.

"Great job, Yugi, you did it," Harold congratulated.

Yami-Yugi shook his head, "We all did it together." The four Duelists slapped their palms together in a high-five.

* * *

_"You lost the duel!" _Johnson told Lector.

_"Well you're the one who told us they would be weakened if Yugi and the girl were attacked!" _Lector argued back.

_"Well yours was the only Deck Master attacked," _Gansley pointed out.

_"I didn't see you doing anything helpful," _Crump said to Gansley.

_"Oh really, Mister Master-Of-The-Numbers, apparently the number 0 is the only number you don't understand!"_

_"All of you shut up!" _Kimo snapped. _"There's still a chance for us to succeed."

* * *

_

"Since we won, now you must return Tristan to normal," Yami-Yugi demanded.

"And what makes you think we're going to do that?" Kimo asked. All the Deck Masters appeared. "Not only are we keeping Tristan's body but we're gaining yours now as well!"

"But we won the game!" Amara argued.

"This is a new game, called Pick the Body." The monsters started to charge the teens.

"Everyone, stand back," Harold said stepping between his friends and their certain doom. "These meat heads are about to taste the power of the Avatar Armlet!"

But as the Council of 6 approached Harold, they were all suddenly sucked back into Tristan's body.

"What's going on?" Lector wondered. "We can't escape."

Noah's voice came from the sky. "I warned you fools what would happen if you broke my rules now suffer the consequences!" The six Deck Masters and Tristan's body were sucked away into a giant vortex.

"No!" Tristan cried. "Now I'm going to be stuck as a monkey for the rest of my life."

Serenity picked him up and cuddled him. "It'll be all right, Tristan," she comforted him.

Tristan sighed, _Maybe… I can learn to live with it.

* * *

_

"All of you are worthless," Noah said. He cast a side-glance at Mokuba, "Right, Mokuba?"

"Please, Master Noah, give us another chance," Gansley pleaded.

"I've given you plenty of chances and you all failed," Noah said. "Now it's time for you to be punished for your failures!" The six men disappeared. _Now it's time for me to challenge Seto personally, and prove once and for all that I deserve to be the head of the Kaiba Empire!_

The End

* * *

Duel Monster Database

(1)  
Name: Guardian of the Throne Room  
Level: 4  
Type: Machine  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 1650  
DEF: 1600

(2)  
Name: Serapheem  
Level: 10  
Type: Fairy/Ritual/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 3250  
DEF: 2800  
This monster can only be ritual summoned with the ritual magic card Heavenly Light. When this monster enters a battle, special summon up to 4 normal light monsters from the graveyard. These cards are treated as equip spell cards. Raise its ATK by 200 points for each card. This ability can only be used once. Afterwards, the monsters return to the graveyard. From the turn after this monster has attacked, you may resurrect 1 normal light monster from the graveyard (Wingweaver is excluded)

2a:  
Name: Heavenly Light  
Type: Ritual spell card  
This card is used to ritual summon Serapheem. You must also offer 1 Wingweaver whose attack points have risen above 3200 as a tribute.

(3)  
Name: Mistress of the Trap Circle  
Level: 2  
Type: Spellcaster/Effect  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 500  
DEF: 800  
If this monster is sent to the graveyard by a magic, trap, or monster effect, you may activate 1 trap card that is in your graveyard. You can use this effect only once during either player's turn.

(4)  
Name: Berserk Dragon  
Level: 8  
Type: Zombie/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 3500  
DEF: 0

(5)  
Name: The Unhappy Maiden  
Level: 1  
Type: Spellcaster/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 0  
DEF: 100

(6)  
Name: Dark Flare Knight  
Level: 6  
Type: Warrior/Fusion/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 2200  
DEF: 800

(7)  
Name: Mirage Knight  
Level: 8  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 2800  
DEF: 2000


	21. The Kaiba Mystery

Yu-Gi-Oh! Avatar

Fanfic Chapter 135: The Kaiba Mystery  
Episode Basis: Merger of the Big-5 Pts 1 & 2, Brothers in Arms Pt 1

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh! Lector succeeded in summoning the Five-God Dragon, an incredible beast with over 5000 attack and defense points but was immune to all monster attributes except light monsters. That meant there was only one Duelist able to defeat it: Harold. And defeat it he did, with some help from the ritual monster Serapheem and two of Amara's cards, Mistress of the Trap Circle and Rising Energy. But no sooner had that dragon been defeated than a new dragon appeared, Berserk Dragon. While not as powerful, Berserk Dragon retained the same immunity to all except light monsters as its predecessor had plus it had the ability to attack all monsters on the field including those that were hidden. Joey and Amara came to the rescue and prevented their comrades from becoming dragon chow. And Yugi combined his and Joey's Deck Masters to form the Dark Flare Knight. But it still wasn't enough to destroy Berserk Dragon. But Mirage Knight, the monster that appeared when Dark Flare Knight was destroyed was, taking the attack points of the opponent's monster and delivering the finishing attack. Yugi's team won but the Council of 6 wasn't ready to accept defeat. They launched a head-on attack against the kids. Harold was ready to go postal with his Armlet but once again, Noah intervened taking them away and then deleting them from his virtual database. That was the end of the Council of 6. But what do you suppose Kaiba's been doing while all this was happening?

* * *

As Kaiba climbed a flight of stairs, he wiped the sweat from his brow. _That runt Noah is making me do this just to taunt me. _He reached an apex and looked out over the desolate valley. "Mokuba! Mokuba, can you hear me?" He called out. "Mokuba, answer me!"

* * *

Noah and Mokuba watched this from Noah's lair. Noah turned to Mokuba and asked, "Don't you want to answer him?"

"No," Mokuba simply replied.

"But he's your brother."

"I have only one brother and that's you, Noah."

"Just as it should be."

* * *

Kaiba came around a bend at the top of the mountain to find an old ruin. He ignored it, thinking, _Whatever grudge this runt has with me, he better take it up with me face-to-face. Capturing my defenseless brother only proves what a coward he is. _Kaiba continued walking and came to a tunnel. He entered it. The tunnel was long and dark. The light from the outside faded fast. Kaiba slid his hand along the smooth wall to guide him. He knew this world was virtual, if Noah wanted to he could probably appear to Kaiba right now like he did during Wheeler's duel with Johnson. But of course, Noah was being a stubborn brat. Actually, perhaps Noah was smart in not appearing. If he appeared before Kaiba right now, Kaiba would truly teach him the meaning of loss.

A small speck of light appeared in front of Kaiba. Was Noah trying to trap him again? But Kaiba saw that the light was sunlight, coming from the mouth of a tunnel. He exited the tunnel into a misty field. The mist suddenly swirled and took form in front of Kaiba, forming a Duel Monster called Emissary of the Afterlife (1).

"If Noah's trying to test my patience, he's doing a good job of it," Kaiba muttered as he activated his Duel Disk. "I summon Vorse Raider in attack mode! Vorse Raider, attack that thing now." The Vorse Raider threw its weapon and sliced the Emissary of the Afterlife. "Now where is it?" On cue, a Sonic Duck (2) appeared. "Emissary of the Afterlife's special ability is that once it's destroyed, both players can summon a monster from their deck. Fortunately I won't need to. Vorse Raider, attack that monster!" Vorse Raider attacked Sonic Duck and destroyed it. "If that's the best Noah can do in a duel, beating him will be a breeze." Kaiba recalled his monster and deactivated his Duel Disk. The mist suddenly cleared up.

Kaiba found himself back in Domino, staring at his very own Kaiba Land theme park. "How does Noah know about this?" Kaiba wondered. He walked around to the back of the building. A large metal door blocked the back entrance. A chess set laid on a pedestal near it. _Could Noah possibly know…? _Kaiba picked up a chess piece and moved it to a different square.

Checkmate.

The metal door was raised. _There's no way Noah could know about the back door security pass code, _Kaiba thought. _I don't tell anybody it, not even Mokuba. It's based on one of my step-father's old chess moves. _Kaiba looked at the entrance. _It's probably a trap but maybe I can find some answers here. _He walked inside.

The interior was, in all respects, empty leading Kaiba to believe that this was Kaiba Land before it was built. The real Kaiba Land had desks, waiting rooms, monitors that contained latest Duel Monster Info. This interior had almost nothing in it.

Except for one of Noah's virtual doorways.

"It probably leads to more images from the past," Kaiba grumbled as he opened the door. But when he stepped through, he was in a room with a movie projector and a screen set up. _Oh brother, get with the times, Noah._ He flicked on the projector. After a brief count-down, the projector played images of a younger-looking Noah playing with Gozaburo. Various images of birthday parties, fishing trips, and playing games flashed on the screen. _How pathetic, Noah's still trying to convince me that he's Gozaburo's son. Well it will take a lot more than some made-up home movies to convince me._

A new scene was played, a scene that changed Kaiba's entire perspective.

The scene was of outside a church. Gozaburo waited by a limousine as a woman in black, Gozaburo's wife (he saw a picture of her in his step-father's study), exited the church.

She was holding a picture of Noah the way he looks now.

_What is this? Did something happen to Noah? If these images are to be believed, then something must've happened to Noah right before Mokuba and I were adopted. Wait a second… if something did happen to Noah, how would he have memories of this? I don't see him in the scene so how could he know what took place unless… unless it wasn't really Noah showing me this! Someone else is orchestrating all this besides Noah and the Big-5! But who?_

Kaiba left the room and proceeded down a hallway. _How does Noah know all this stuff? He's able to show me and Mokuba images of our past, images that only us and our step-father would know. He's able to appear and disappear at will while neither I nor Mokuba nor Yugi nor any of his pep squad has that ability. I know one thing for certain, Noah couldn't have planned all this on his own. He's had help. Well after I rescue Mokuba and undo whatever brain washing Noah did to him, I'll knock the information out of him._

Kaiba emerged into a subway station. The sound of a running train could be heard in the distance. "Now what," he grumbled. A bullet train shaped like a Blue-Eyes White Dragon pulled up next to him. Kaiba entered. "This better bring me to Mokuba," Kaiba said.

* * *

"Ow, ow, ow, OW!" Tristan cried as Joey shook him up and down by his legs. "Do I look like a piñata?"

"Sorry, man, but it's the only way we're going to get out of here."

"How, by turning me inside out?"

"Since Tristan's robot body was designed by Noah, it might hold some clue as to how we can get out of here."

"Yeah, so open up, Coco," Duke said fiddling with Tristan's back.

"Hey, bad touch, bad touch!

A panel opened up in Tristan's back revealing a keypad and a red button.

"Now we're getting somewhere," Joey said. "Let's try… this." He pressed the 8 key.

Tristan sudden sprouted wheels and started zooming around them. "Somebody stop this crazy thing!" Harold held out his foot and Tristan bumped into it and fell over. "Thanks, Harold."

"No problem."

"Here, let me try," Duke said. "Six is my lucky number." He pressed the six key.

A helicopter propeller popped out of Tristan's head and Tristan went flying uncontrollably.

"Something tells me it isn't mine!" He cried before slamming into a rock face.

"Stand back, boys," Amara said. "This calls for a woman's touch." She moved her finger over the keypad before pressing the 1 key.

Tristan's head popped out and dangled around on a coil.

"That's not even funny," he said giving Amara a (upside down) sour look.

"Sorry," Amara apologized. As Tristan literally screwed his head back on, she said, "Yugi, you give it a shot."

"All right," Yugi said studying the keypad. He decided on pressing the red button.

The color on Tristan's face icon changed from blue to red as a computerized voice called out, "Initiating escape sequence." Noah's virtual doorway appeared.

"Come on, guys, this way," Harold said as Tristan led them through the doorway.

* * *

Kaiba had been wondering how long he's been traveling when Noah's voice came through a PA system. "All passengers who have stolen family empires from their rightful owners should prepare to exit to the right at the next stop."

_Wise guy, _Kaiba thought.

* * *

In another car, Noah and Mokuba watched Kaiba on a view screen.

"Remember, Mokuba, don't listen to anything he says."

"Yes, Noah, you are my only brother."

"That's right." Noah stroked Mokuba's hair before getting up. "I must go and entertain our guest. You stay here and be a good boy."

"Yes, Brother," Noah replied.

Noah chuckled and teleported away.

* * *

The Acrobat Monkey led them to the Kaiba Land theme park.

"Kaiba Land? What the heck are we doing here?" Joey asked.

"This is where the doorway took us," Amara noted.

"Yeah, but why?" Yugi wondered. The Acrobat Monkey rolled into the park and the gang followed.

Suddenly the monkey turned and the computerized voice said, "Danger, intruders detected on premises, preparing defense maneuvers." Two guns popped out from the monkey's shoulders and fired. Harold quickly used his shield to block the attack.

"What's with Tristan?" Tea asked.

"That red button that Yugi hit must've been some sort of default setting," Duke figured. "That's not Tristan that's doing it!"

"Well no matter who's doing it, we have to stop it," Joey said. "Let's do it, Yugi!"

"Right." The two charged forward and knocked the robot monkey down. The face icon color changed back to blue.

"All right, who's the wise guy who knocked me down?" Tristan demanded to know.

"Tristan's back to his old self," Tea said with a grin.

"Yeah, but is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Amara questioned.

"Are you okay, Tristan?" Serenity asked.

"Yeah, but how did we get back to Domino?"

"We're still in Noah's virtual world," Serenity reminded him. "Somehow, you opened one of Noah's doorways and we all ended up here."

"Oh, well… just glad I could help."

* * *

Kaiba's train came out of a tunnel over a sea of molten lava with small rock islands sprinkled in the middle. The train stopped next to one of the rocks and Kaiba exited it. The train and tracks then dissolved. Kaiba looked around wondering what to do next.

A beam of light descended on a rock about a hundred yards away. Noah's body formed. "Greetings, Brother," he said in a snide voice.

"Noah, I finally found you, now give me back my brother!"

"Mokuba's my brother now, and he'll be much better off when the remnants of your memory are scattered throughout cyberspace!" Kaiba let out a growl. "But don't worry, Seto, I have no desire to involve your Brother in as a factor. This is about what should've been mine, Kaiba Corp.!"

"What?"

"It's time to prove to myself and my father that I am superior to you in every way!"

"If you're so superior, why am I the head of Kaiba Corp.?"

"An unfortunate circumstance, one I intend to correct."

"Enough pussy-footing around, Noah, I want to know who you really are? I saw your home movies and there's no way you should be here, at least not alive."

* * *

At that moment, Yugi and the others had discovered upon the projector and were now watching Noah's home movies.

"What is this?" Tea asked horrified. "Could Noah really be…?"

"And if Noah is," Joey interrupted. "Who's the runt who kidnapped us?"

"This just keeps getting freakier and freakier," Amara commented.

"I might as well tell you the truth," Noah told Kaiba. "Since you won't be around long enough to care. It's true; I haven't aged in six years. In fact, I can't age at all, this isn't my real body." Noah held up his hand and the sky produced a giant metal sphere. "Behold your true step-brother!"

"What is that thing?" Kaiba asked.

"My brain is hardwired into that computer which in turn projects an image of how I looked six years ago. But it wasn't always this way…"

* * *

_While you and Mokuba were still living day-to-day at that orphanage, I was living the good life as the son of Gozaburo Kaiba! I had everything a kid could ever want including the best teachers money could buy. My Father hired them all to groom me to become the next head of Kaiba Corporation._

_But then all that changed._

_I was walking across the street when a speeding blue sports car came zooming around the corner. Without stopping, it plowed into me._

_My Father rushed me to our own hospital where he brought in doctors and scientists in hopes of reviving me. But in the end, it all came down to waiting to see if I could pull through. But you know Doctors, even when they try to be optimistic, they're really saying expect the worst._

_You can understand that Father didn't like waiting, so he turned to his technicians and engineers. He hooked my body up to a pod, an early version of your virtual pod, and downloaded every thought and memory into a mainframe. I was no longer human, I had become a being with limitless power!_

_And then you came along._

_My father adopted you in hopes that you would influence me to work harder on my studies. But after my accident, that plan was rendered impossible. My mind was sharp as ever but I had no body with which to run Kaiba Corp. until now!

* * *

_

"I am no longer human," Noah said. "I exist only as a digital file inside my father's battle computer. But once I beat you in a duel, I'll upload my mind into your body and return to the real world to run Kaiba Corp. the way my father originally intended to!"

Kaiba laughed, "The only thing more ridiculous than that story is the chance of you out-dueling me. I re-built Kaiba Corp. from the ground up with no help at all! No one else could run it, especially not some kid. You think you can win a duel with me using a lame version of MY virtual technology? I think that accident must've damaged your sense of reasoning. Of course I accept your challenge; I never turn down a duel. But I should warn you, I'll beat you so hard you'll never want to duel again! That'll be your punishment for trying to take away my brother and company!"

"Then let the test to see who is truly worthy of calling himself a Kaiba begin!"

* * *

Yugi and the others had arrived at the subway station. "So what do we do now?" Amara asked.

"What do you think?" Tristan asked back. "We follow these tracks, find Kaiba and Mokuba, get my body back and get all of us out of this dump!"

"Easier said than done," Harold said. "I don't see any train!"

"Maybe we could just wait for one," Tea suggested.

"Why wait for a train when you can ride one of these babies?" Tristan stood on a handcart.

"Sweet ride, Tristan," Joey complimented.

"I didn't think these things existed outside of cartoons," Amara commented.

"Don't question good fortune," Duke said.

With Duke and Harold manning the pump, the handcart started off and quickly picked up speed.

A little too much speed.

"Joey, what are you doing?" Tea asked. "Put on the breaks."

"Right." Joey pulled the break lever but it snapped off.

Unaware of what happened, Tea said, "Joey, where are those breaks?"

"Here," Joey said handing her the broken break lever.

Tea took one look at the lever, screamed and dropped it as the Handcart continued down the track out of control.

The End

* * *

Duel Monster Database

(1)  
Name: Emissary of the Afterlife  
Level: 4  
Type: Fiend/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 1600  
DEF: 600

(2)  
Name: Sonic Duck  
Level: 3  
Type: Winged-Beast  
Attribute: Wind  
ATK: 1700  
DEF: 700


	22. Family Feud Pt 1

Yu-Gi-Oh! Avatar

Fanfic Chapter 136: Family Feud Pt 1: Brothers in Arms  
Episode Basis: Brothers in Arms Pt 1

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh! Kaiba set out to find Mokuba and hopefully, a clue as to who Noah really was. What he found out was beyond what he expected. A home movie projector revealed two important clues: that someone besides Noah was orchestrating this Virtual Wars. The other clue he found was that Gozaburo and his wife attended a funeral for Noah. But if Noah was dead, then who was the one who captured him. The answer came in the form of a giant metal sphere. As it turned out, Noah did indeed suffer a fatal accident and Gozaburo manage to preserve his mind by downloading it into a computer. This Noah was nothing more than a computer file, a computer file intending on taking over Kaiba's body and returning to the real world to take over Kaiba Corp. He challenged Kaiba to a duel. Meanwhile, Yugi and the others were on the fast track to disaster when the handrail cart they were using went out of control. You guys all know what's coming next.

* * *

"Are you prepared to lose your body, Seto?" Noah asked. "Soon, you will be trapped here in the virtual world as I am now, only you won't have the near limitless powers that I have."

"Give me a break, shrimp," Kaiba said harshly. "Even if you are Gozaburo's biological son, that doesn't give you any more right to run Kaiba Corp. than me."

"How dare you! I am a God in this world."

"Too bad, I was never much of a religious man," Kaiba joked. "Now enough idle chit-chat, let's duel!"

Noah smirked and held up his hand. A Duel Disk appeared on it and activated. "I have already prepared my deck, have you?"

"I have," Kaiba confirmed. "Now meet my Deck Master, Kaiser Sea Horse (1)!" A strange fish-human hybrid monster in blue armor and carrying a double-bladed spear and a shield appeared.

"Very well then," Noah said drawing his initial hand. Kaiba did likewise. "Let's duel!"

(K: 4000)  
(N: 4000)

* * *

Meanwhile, Yugi and the others were still rolling out of control. Yugi was almost flung off but Tea grabbed him by his Millennium Puzzle and dragged him back to the cart where he held on to the edge for dear life.

"Somebody, stop this thing," Duke cried.

"Harold, use your Armlet," Yugi called.

"Oh, right," Harold said. The sudden splash of fear have made Harold forget that he had the power to stop or at least slow their acceleration.

"It's too late," Amara shouted. "Look!" Everyone looked ahead and saw a rock wall coming up on them fast.

"No it's not," Harold said and activated his Armlet.

* * *

"I'll start by summoning my Giant Germ in attack mode followed by one face-down card." _Noah made two critical mistakes: the first was taking Mokuba from me and the second was challenging me to a duel. And he'll find that out the hard way once I activate my Crush Card sending a powerful virus into his deck destroying every monster with over 1500 attack points._

Noah drew a sixth card. "I summon Chiron the Mage (2) in attack mode!" A centaur carrying a staff with an orb on one end appeared.

A loud scream herald Yugi and the gang as they burst through a rock face (courtesy of Harold's Armlet) and landed on another rock island in the middle of the lava pool.

Serenity opened her eyes, "Hey, that fall wasn't as painful as I thought."

"Speak for yourself, Serenity." Serenity looked down and saw that she was the apex of a pile that had Yugi, Tea, Joey, and Duke on bottom, then Harold, Amara, and Tristan.

"Oops," Serenity said and quickly climbed down.

As the gang disentangled themselves from one another, they spied the duel going on. "Whoa, Kaiba's dueling Noah," Amara realized.

"Kaiba, be careful!" Yugi called out.

"How cute," Noah said snidely. "Seto's little fan club arrived and just in time to witness his final duel."

Kaiba regarded Yugi and the others with a combo look of annoyance and indifference. They were the last thing he needed right now.

"Kaiba can't let Noah win," Serenity said.

"If he does let Noah win, we'll never get my body back or blow this pop stand," Tristan added jumping up and down and squeaking like a monkey.

"Where were we?" Noah asked Kaiba. "Oh yes, I was activating Chiron the Mage's special ability: Mirror of Truth."

"Mirror of Truth?"

"Right, Chiron can reveal and destroy a face-down card." Kaiba's Crush Card appeared in Chiron's mask and the actual card was destroyed. "Now, Chiron, attack his Giant Germ!" Chiron fired a blast of energy from its staff and destroyed the amoeba.

(K: 3200)  
(N: 4000)

"Nice try, but Giant Germ has a special ability too. When it's destroyed it can automatically return at the same time dealing 500 points of damage to you."

(K: 3200)  
(N: 3500)

"Oh please," Noah said rolling his eyes. "Giant Germ is weak, there's no way it can destroy Chiron the Mage."

"But whoever said I was going to attack with it?" Kaiba asked rhetorically as he drew a card. "I plan to use Giant Germ as a sacrifice so I can summon Vampire Lord (3)!" A blue-skinned human with fangs in purple robes and a long flowing cape appeared. "Vampire Lord, attack Chiron the Mage now!" An energy blast came out of Vampire Lord's mouth and destroyed Chiron the Mage.

(K: 3200)  
(N: 3300)

"When Vampire Lord destroys a monster, I can make an opponent discard one card of my choice. Now discard a monster card."

Noah shrugged indifferently and sent his Giant Soldier of Stone (4) to the graveyard. "It was a worthless card anyway. It's my move now and I'll start by playing the magic card Fissure." A crack to the lava flow opened up and sucked Vampire Lord in. "Next I summon Aris (5) in attack mode!" Aeris attacked Kaiba directly.

(K: 1400)  
(N: 3300)

"Kaiba lost almost 2000 life points with that attack!" Tea cried.

"It's not over yet," Harold said. "I don't think Kaiba would let himself be beaten this easily."

"Don't give up, Big Guy," Amara called.

"Yeah, keep fighting," Yugi added.

"He should just give up," Noah said placing a card face-down. "I'll allow him to retain his body if he turns over control of Kaiba Corp. to me."

"That's blackmail!" Amara shouted.

"Take it or leave it."

Kaiba started his turn. "I'd rather see my company run into the ground than turn it over to the likes of you! First, my Vampire Lord returns to the field!" A coffin risen up out of the lava. "Being a vampire, Vampire Lord is immortal and can't be destroyed so easily." The coffin opened up and produced the Vampire Lord. "Next I summon Slate Warrior (6) in attack mode!"

"I never thought I'd be rooting for Kaiba," Joey commented. "Let's go, Rich Boy!"

"I hate to point out the obvious," Amara said. "But if Kaiba loses, then there's no chance we'll be getting out of here."

"If Kaiba loses, I'll be stuck a monkey forever," Tristan said depressed.

"You're a fool, Seto, you can't beat me; this is my world!"

"Give me a break this is just a rip-off of my own virtual software, though I'm beginning to suspect I know where you got your hands on it. Vampire Lord, attack him now!"

"I reveal my trap card: Earthshaker," Noah cried. Vampire Lord's attack stopped. "Here's how it works. I pick two monster attributes and you must send a monster that meets one of those attributes to the graveyard. I choose wind and dark."

Kaiba looked from Vampire Lord, a dark monster, to Slate Warrior, a wind monster. Finally, he decided, "I choose to send my Vampire Lord to the graveyard!"

"I don't get it," Joey said as Vampire Lord disappeared. "Why did Kaiba send that monsters to the card graveyard when it clearly has more attack points than Noah's?"

"Vampire Lord is immortal, Joey," Yugi reminded him. "It'll just return on Kaiba's next turn."

"Good thing Kaiba still has his wind monster," Amara said.

"Slate Warrior, attack his monster now!" Noah's monster was destroyed.

(K: 1400)  
(N: 3200)

"Looks like things are looking up for Kaiba," Joey commented.

"He's trailing in life points thought plus it's Noah's turn," Yugi responded. "We still have a long way to go."

Harold groaned in despair.

"I play the magic card Giant Flood which washes away all monsters on the field!"

"Not again," Tristan cried as a giant tidal wave rushed at them. Fortunately, it missed them.

Slate Warrior wasn't so lucky, it was literally pulled under. Kaiba actually saw it struggle to stay afloat but to no avail.

"It's time for you to meet my Deck Master," Noah decided. Kaiba quickly realized that a couple of turns have passed since the duel began and so far he hadn't seen hide or hair of Noah's Deck Master. Of course Noah wouldn't disobey his own rules. But why hadn't he called upon it until now? He must've been waiting to play Giant Flood so he could summon it, but why?

Kaiba got his answer, though later on, he wished he didn't even think of that question.

A large wooden boat with a single sail appeared. The bow of the boat opened up and sucked in Slate Warrior. The other monsters that were in his graveyard joined it. Noah's monsters were also sucked up. They appeared sitting on top of the ark.

"What is that thing?" Kaiba wondered.

"I was about to ask the same thing," Joey commented.

"Meet my Deck Master," Noah introduced. "Shinato's Ark (7)! And it will allow me to sail away with everything you own," Noah said laughing triumphantly. "Your company… and your brother!"

To Be Continued

* * *

Duel Monster Database

(1)  
Name: Kaiser Sea Horse  
Level: 4  
Type: Sea Serpent/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 1700  
DEF: 1650  
Deck Master Abilities:  
1. Field of Healing Light: At the beginning of each of your Battle Phase, if you have a LIGHT monster face-up on your side of the field, you may increase your life points by 500 points.  
2. The Emperor's Rage: Downgrade all LIGHT monsters in both players' hands and on the field by 2 levels.

(2)  
Name: Chiron the Mage  
Level: 4  
Type: Beast-Warrior/Effect  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 1800  
DEF: 1000

(3)  
Name: Vampire Lord  
Level: 5  
Type: Zombie/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 2000  
DEF: 1500

(4)  
Name: Giant Soldier of Stone  
Level: 3  
Type: Rock  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 1300  
DEF: 2000

(5)  
Name: Aeris  
Level: 4  
Type: Fairy  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 1800  
DEF: 1000

(6)  
Name: Slate Warrior  
Level: 4  
Type: Fiend/Effect  
Attribute: Wind  
ATK: 1900  
DEF: 400

(7)  
Name: Shinato's Ark  
Level: 8  
Type: Rock/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 0  
DEF: 0  
Effect: Increase the ATK of this card by 250 points for each monster in your graveyard.  
Deck Master Ability:  
1. Flash Flood Rescue: Once per turn, when your opponent attacks with a monster, you may summon a monster from your graveyard or your opponent's graveyard.  
2. Second Life: Remove all monsters in both players' graveyards to increase your life points by 500 points per monster.  
3. King's Calling: If this monster is destroyed in battle, you may special summon 1 Shinato, King of a Higher Plane, from your hand, deck, or graveyard.

A/N: Believe it or not, Kent Regal's Deck Master Variation Reference Guide, where I get most of the Deck Master information from, counts Shinato's Ark as a monster even though it's a magic card. It has the above-mentioned stats. The only thing about it that I made up was the actual names of the Deck Master Abilities.


	23. Family Feud Pt 2

Yu-Gi-Oh! Avatar

Fanfic Chapter 137: Family Feud Pt 2: The Ark  
Episode Basis: Brothers in Arms Pt 2

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh! Kaiba and Noah squared off against each other in a duel to decide who should rule Kaiba Corp. Dueling over a lava flow, Kaiba chose Kaiser Sea Horse as his Deck Master and immediately set out to attack Noah. But Noah was able to fend him off. After a few turns, Noah revealed his Deck Master, Shinato's Ark. The thing was huge, and it sucked up both players' monsters. What else can it do?

* * *

Kaiba, Yugi, and his friends watched in shock, awe, and horror, as the giant wooden ship settled down behind Noah.

"That thing's enormous!" Joey cried.

"It's huge!" Amara agreed.

Yugi stared at it puzzlingly.

"Something wrong, Yugi?" Harold asked.

"No, I… don't think so," Yugi said slowly.

The Ark opened up and all of Kaiba's and Noah's monsters appeared. "From now on, any monster that's destroyed will be directed to Shinato's Ark instead of being sent to the graveyard."

"That means he won't be able to resurrect any of his monsters," Amara explained.

"Neither will Noah," Tristan pointed out. "So it's pretty much even."

"I'm not so sure, Tristan," Yugi said. _Something's strange about that ark. I'm sure that keeping monsters from going to the graveyard is not its only ability._

Kaiba was laughing, "Your own Deck Master backfired on you! You have no monsters in your field or your hand and it's my turn. If I draw a monster card on this turn, you'll have nothing to protect your life points."

(K: 1400)  
(N: 3200)

_That's what you think, _Noah thought.

Kaiba drew a card and smirked, "Well, gee, what do you know? I drew a monster. I summon Spear Dragon in attack mode! Spear Dragon, attack his life points!"

"Vampire Lord, protect me!" Noah called. Kaiba gasped as his monster appeared in defense mode on Noah's side of the field. Noah still lost 400 life points because of Spear Dragon's affect. Vampire Lord quickly returned to Shinato's Ark.

(K: 1400)  
(N: 2800)

A/N: I'd just like to point out that if Noah called his Giant Soldier of Stone instead of Vampire Lord, not only would he be able to protect his own life points but deal damage to Kaiba's. But hey, that's just me.

"What did you do, Noah?" Kaiba demanded to know.

"Simple, you fool, I activated the Deck Master Ability of Shinato's Ark. Whenever my life points are targeted for an attack, I can summon a monster from Shinato's Ark to protect me. I may have still lost life points but not as much as I would if I was wide open."

"Does that mean that Noah can use even the monsters in Kaiba's deck that was destroyed?" Serenity asked.

"The girl makes a poignant observation," Noah commented. "Yes, I can even use your own monsters against you, as long as they were destroyed. You see, Seto, you're in my world and I control everything around us! Observe." He held up his finger and pointed to the metal sphere that started to flash like a disco ball. The ocean that covered the lava flow as a result of Noah's Giant Flood magic card dried up leaving them in a vast jungle. "Welcome to the age of the Dinosaurs, where only the strongest survive… like my Giant Rex (1)!" A giant dinosaur like the one that attacked them at the beginning appeared. It grabbed Spear Dragon in its mouth and shook it around like a rag doll. After Spear Dragon was destroyed and sent to Shinato's Ark, it roared at Kaiba and returned back to Noah's side of the field. "Are you feeling frustrated, Seto? Are you frustrated to know that I am more intelligent than you? Well you should be, for with each passing second, my brain grows massive." He pointed to the sphere again.

"That's humanly impossible!" Amara argued.

"Whoever said I was human?" Noah retorted. "When my father digitized my brain into his computer network, something unexpected happened, something that not even my father could've predicted. My brain waves became more powerful, perhaps because I didn't need to waste so much of it moving a body. Whatever the reason, I was absorbing vast amounts of knowledge from my father's computer network. I was a superhuman! I had more knowledge than anyone on Earth!

"But there was still one thing I did not have, one thing that I needed to make me complete: my father's trust. But once I destroy your mind and take your body, I'll prove to him once and for all that Kaiba Corp. should be mine! You are nothing but a lowly human while I have power over who exists and who doesn't in this world!" Kaiba laughed which irritated Noah, "What's so funny?"

"You are, behind your so-called superhuman intellect, you're nothing but a spoiled little brat! All your life, you've been handed everything on a silver platter while I had to work hard for everything I have. Kaiba Corp. isn't mine because Gozaburo handed it to me; it's mine because I've toiled to make it what it is right now. All this proves is how mad you are to trap us all here and even madder in challenging me to a duel. And deep down, your father always knew it."

"What do you mean?"

"If Gozaburo really wanted you to take control of Kaiba Corp, why didn't he just give it to you? Why did he choose such round-about ways like making you prove yourself to him? It's because that he knew you weren't really his son, just a computer file on his hard drive."

"No, it can't be!"

* * *

_I remember after my accident, I woke up in my room. I thought it was odd because I distinctly remember that blue car coming at me. Was it all a dream? I began to think it wasn't a dream after I noticed that my door wouldn't open. It wasn't that it was locked, just that it wouldn't open, like that really wasn't a door at all._

_"Noah." My father's face appeared on a giant window._

_"Father, what's going on? I thought I was walking across the street…"_

_He looked away, even back them he couldn't look me straight in the eye. "Noah, I don't know how to tell you this delicately, but…"_

_"But what?"_

_"Noah, there was an accident. I brought in all the best doctors money could buy, but… they couldn't do anything. Your body was destroyed."_

_"That can't be true, I can see my body…"_

_"What you're 'seeing' is just a virtual representation of your body. You're inside the Kaiba Corp. battle computer; an entire virtual world has been set up for you."_

_"But… I…"_

_"I'm sorry, son, believe me I tried everything and I still will try to find a way to bring you back, but in the mean time, this is your new home. Look, I even made a friend for you." A little puppy walked up to me. I had always wanted one and now I finally got my wish._

_Except I knew this wasn't real, it was… virtual.

* * *

_

_Gozaburo's world was perfect, maybe a little too perfect. The people there were only too eager to please me. Every time I passed by, they would say the same thing over and over again. After a while, it got so irritating. I didn't want this perfect world, I wanted to live in a world that was close to real as possible._

_And it wasn't long before I figured out how.

* * *

_

_Just as your birthday was marked as your coming of age, Seto, it was the same with me._

_"So, son, how did you like your first trip to Mars?"_

_"It was great, Father, how many kids can say they've been to Mars? Of course, I know it's virtual, but still…"_

_"I'm just glad you liked it. Well, make a wish and blow out your candles."_

_"Wait a second, we can't leave Max out of this. Come here, Max."_

_My father was shocked and perhaps even a little bit horrified to discover that the dog that he programmed for me months ago now looked like one of Dr. Frankenstein's creations. Its head had been encased in a metal mask with spikes around it. "What did you do?"_

_"I experimented with him and turned him into a cyborg dog."_

_"Incredible, you changed the parameters of the virtual world!"_

_"Yup, I've also been working on another little experiment, an experiment that would greatly improve on the virtual world you created for me. Please hear me out, like a businessman."_

_"Very well, Noah, I'll listen to your proposal."_

_"I've discovered that we can improve and expand our own world if we connect to other computer systems around the world. That way, our virtual world can be every bit as real as the actual physical world."_

_"I'm impressed, Noah, you really thought this all out."_

_"I just want to prove to you that I have the business know-how to run Kaiba Corp."_

_"Yes, well… I heard your proposal, now I'll treat it like I treat all business ventures: I'll consider the options and let you know my opinion."_

_That was the last thing he ever said to me.

* * *

_

"Soon, he started to focus all of his attention on his new family: you and Mokuba. Soon he all but gave up on me. After all, how can Kaiba Corp. be run by a virtual president?"

"Gozaburo didn't give up on you because of your virtual state," Kaiba said taking Noah by surprise. "He knew that no matter what, you'll always have that silver spoon in your mouth, believing everything should be handed to you."

"What?"

"As despicable as he was, Gozaburo knew the value of hard work. He knew that only someone with the same strength and conviction that he had could bring Kaiba Corp. onto the track for success. He thought I was the best man for the job and that you were better off in your own little virtual world, out of his way."

"Oh please," Noah scoffed. "Of the three Kaiba Brothers, you are the low man on the totem pole."

* * *

From Noah's sanctuary, Mokuba viewed all of this. He stood of his own accord. "I must go help Noah," he decided. "My one true brother."

* * *

"Let's finish this!" Kaiba announced drawing a card. "I play Pot of Greed, this lets me draw two cards from my deck." He looked at his two cards. "I choose to activate Kaiser Sea Horse's Deck Master Ability. Now I can summon a high-level monster without sacrificing weaker ones. So now I summon Different Dimension Dragon (2)!" A white serpentine dragon appeared in defense mode. "Next I set three cards face-down and end my turn."

"What the heck is Kaiba thinking?" Joey asked. "Noah's dino can easily destroy his dragon. Noah could win in the next turn."

"Maybe, but maybe not," Yugi pointed out. "Kaiba's no fool, he must have some sort of plan."

Amara had been staring at Shinato's Ark. Something about it was troubling her but she couldn't figure out what.

"I play the magic card Deepest Impact!" Meteors rained down on both monsters. Kaiba's monster quickly disappeared. "According to history, a meteor storm killed off the dinosaurs and brought about an ice age!" Immediately snow began to fall. The others shivered with the cold. Noah's Giant Rex was encased in ice which then broke apart destroying it.

_Noah's nuts, _Joey thought. _He willingly destroyed his best monster just to attack Kaiba's life points. Does this kid have any respect at all?_

"I don't get it, what does Deepest Impact do?" Serenity asked.

"It destroys all monsters on the field and halves both players' life points," Yugi explained.

(K: 700)  
(N: 1400)

"Now I play the magic card Ice Age Impact," Noah announced. "Which allows me to summon my Last Tusk Mammoth (3) in attack mode."

"Well I call Different Dimension Dragon to the field in defense mode," Kaiba commanded. His dragon reappeared. "My dragon was safely hiding in another dimension. And since it's more powerful than your mammoth, there's no way you can affect my life points."

"Oh yes I can," Noah came back. "Last Tusk Mammoth, attack Different Dimension Dragon!"

"This is bad," Yugi commented. "When Last Tusk Mammoth is destroyed, both players lose life points."

"And since Noah's are higher than Kaiba's, that means he'll lose," Harold said catching on.

"I activate my trap card Ring of Destruction," Kaiba commanded. A ring with grenades on it attached to Last Tusk Mammoth. "My ring can destroy a monster and deal direct damage to both players."

"That still won't do any good," Amara commented. "Kaiba's life points are still lower than Noah's."

"I also reveal another face-down card, the magic card Ring of Defense. Now my life points are safe but yours are not!" Last Tusk Mammoth was destroyed.

(K: 700)  
(N: 600)

The gang cheered, "Now that's what I'm talking about," Harold said.

"It all comes down to these next few turns," Joey said.

Yugi nodded, "One card, that's all that stands between victory and defeat."

"My move," Kaiba said drawing a card. "And first I'm switching Different Dimension Dragon to attack mode! Next I discard one Thunder Dragon (4)." The monster was absorbed by Shinato's Ark. "So I can summon two more Thunder Dragons. Now I'll combine them with Polymerization to form Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon (5)! And finally, I play the magic card Quick Attack which allows my monster to attack immediately!"

"You seem to have forgotten, I have the monsters of Shinato's Ark. Giant Rex and Soldier of Stone, come to me in defense mode!"

"Oh I haven't forgotten, in fact I wanted you to do that so I could activate this: my trap card Dragon's Rage. Now my monsters can infect damage to your life points as long as their attack points are higher than your defense points. Different Dimension Dragon, attack his Giant Rex with Dimensional Strike!" The dinosaur was destroyed.

(K: 700)  
(N: 400)

"Oh yeah!" Joey cried unconsciously grabbing Yugi in a headlock. "Now all Kaiba has to do is attack his Giant Soldier and it's all done." Since Yugi was turning blue in the face, Harold dislodged Yugi's head allowing oxygen to return to it.

"Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon, at…"

"STOP!" A voice cried. Everyone watched as Mokuba materialized.

"What's Mokuba doing?" Amara asked.

"I won't allow you to harm my brother," Mokuba said to Kaiba.

"Mokuba, how could you have picked his side? I'm your brother!"

"Wrong," Noah said. "Mokuba's my brother now. Now you have one of two choices: forfeit the duel and step down as president of Kaiba Corp. or attack and destroy your brother!"

To Be Continued

* * *

Duel Monster Database

(1)  
Name: Giant Rex  
Level: 4  
Type: Dinosaur/Effect  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 2000  
DEF: 1000

(2)  
Name: Different Dimension Dragon  
Level: 5  
Type: Dragon/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 1200  
DEF: 1500

(3)  
Name: Last Tusk Mammoth  
Level: 3  
Type: Dinosaur/Effect  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 800  
DEF: 500

(4)  
Name: Thunder Dragon  
Level: 5  
Type: Dragon/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 1500  
DEF: 1200

(5)  
Name: Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon  
Level: 8  
Type: Dragon/Fusion  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 2800  
DEF: 2000


	24. Family Feud Pt 3

Yu-Gi-Oh! Avatar

Fanfic Chapter 138: Family Feud Pt 3: The Hidden Deck Master  
Episode Basis: Brothers in Arms Pt 3

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh! Noah introduced his Deck Master, the ultra-powerful Shinato's Ark. Instead of sending monsters to the graveyard, Shinato's Ark sucks them all up. Once there, Noah can call upon them to protect his life points. Noah revealed that after his accident, his father downloaded his mind into the Kaiba Corp.'s battle computer and basically forgot about him. Kaiba told Noah flat-out that he was a brat who couldn't run Kaiba Corp. because he was lazy, selfish, and spoiled. Harsh words, but perhaps Kaiba was right. The tide of the duel turned in Kaiba's favor for a while but just as he was about to deliver the finishing blow, Mokuba appeared and stood in the way of Kaiba's attack. Now Kaiba has two choices: forfeit the duel or attack and lose his brother forever. Talk about a lose-lose situation.

* * *

"Release my brother now, Noah!" Kaiba demanded.

"Don't you mean MY brother?"

"This fight is between the two of us, don't bring Mokuba into this!"

"So you're saying that Mokuba's opinion doesn't matter? That's just like you, Seto."

"Give Kaiba Corp. to Noah now!" Mokuba demanded. Kaiba recoiled like he was just hit with a monkey wrench.

"This is sick," Amara commented. "What kind of a psycho uses someone's own brother against him?"

"I think you just answered your own question, Amara," Joey replied.

"Kaiba may be a snob," Harold admitted. "But even he wouldn't do something like put down Mokuba like that."

"What are you waiting for, Kaiba, attack me."

Kaiba let out a defeated sigh, "I end my turn."

Noah let out a triumphant laugh, "Thank you, Mokuba, I couldn't have beat this stranger without your help."

"You are welcome, brother." Kaiba recoiled by that comment as well.

"Now I'll take over from here. I choose to activate another ability of Shinato's Ark. By sacrificing all the monsters on the Ark, I can raise my life points by 500 points per monster."

"How many monsters are in there?" Joey asked.

"Uh… twelve, I think," Harold replied.

"That means he gains 6000 life points!" Tea realized.

(K: 700)  
(N: 6400)

"All Noah needs is one attack and Kaiba's done for," Joey said.

"Yeah," Yugi agreed. "And if Noah wins, he'll take Kaiba's body and escape to the real world."

"And leave us all stranded here," Tristan added.

"Noah really wasn't worried from the start," Amara commented. "He knew that if Kaiba was to gain the upper hand, he would just use his Deck Master to bail him out."

"Now I'll play the magic card Dark Hole which destroys all monsters on the field." But because of the special ability of Shinato's Ark, the monsters weren't sent to the graveyard but were instead redirected to the ark. "I think that's enough for now. Your move."

_How could Mokuba turn against me like this? Maybe I have been too hard on him.

* * *

_

_"How could you, Mokuba? I thought you were my brother, but you betrayed me!"_

_"No, Seto, it wasn't me!"_

_"Liar! Get out of my sight, I never want to see you again!"

* * *

_

"Mokuba, you have to remember that we're not just a family, we're a team!" Kaiba urged. "I couldn't have defeated our step-father without you!"

"A moving argument but Mokuba's on my team now," Noah said.

"Kaiba," Yugi called.

"Yugi, stay out of this!"

"But I can help! Because I've been through this! Remember when Joey and Tea were under the control of Marik…?"

* * *

_"Joey, are you all right?" Yami-Yugi asked. Joey was silent. "Joey, what's wrong?"_

_"He doesn't look so good," Mokuba observed._

_"Looks like he always does," Kaiba cracked._

_"Joey, what's going on?"_

_Finally, Joey raised his head. There was a sinister look in his eyes. "Joey isn't here," he said in a dual-tone voice._

_Yami-Yugi and the Kaiba Brothers were taken aback. "Okay, that's scary," Mokuba commented._

_"Marik! Let Joey go now!"_

_"Sorry, Pharaoh, your friend is now mine!"_

_"I suggest you do what he says, Pharaoh." Tea walked down a gangplank. Her eyes were also dark and she was wearing a Duel Disk. "Master Marik does not fool around."_

_"Tea! Leave her alone, Marik, she's not even a Duelist!"_

_"Maybe not officially, but for this duel, I've chosen to make her an exception," Marik said through Joey. "You'll have to duel both of us!"

* * *

_

"Harold and I were able to break through to them by summoning their favorite monsters."

* * *

_"I summon Shining Friendship in attack mode!" A little ball with wings and bright green eyes appeared._

_"Shining… Friendship," Tea struggled to say.

* * *

_

_"Now I sacrifice my two monsters so I can summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" The dragon let out a roar as it appeared on the field._

_"It's… my… Red-Eyes," Joey staggered.

* * *

_

_Yugi's right, the only way I'm going to save Mokuba is by summoning the card that represents our bond. But can I draw it in time? _"Get this through that cybernetic skull of yours, Noah, not only will I win this duel, I'll win back Mokuba." He drew a card. _Not the card I'm looking for. But I still have Different Dimension Dragon. _"I set my Different Dimension Dragon in defense mode. That ends my turn."

"That's it, I expected more from you, Seto." Noah drew a card. "Now it's my turn and I think a change of scenery is in order." The world changed around them. Now it resembled the modern world. "When I take over Kaiba Corp. I'll return it to the way it was before. And in case, you've forgotten, let me remind you." In the distance, the hatch of the Kaiba Corp. roof opened and a high-tech jet emerged. It flew over and hovered near Noah. "Meet Gradius (1). And while it may seem weak now, it won't be for long. I activate the magic card Cyclon Laser increasing its attack points by 300!"

(G: 1200-1500)

"Then I'll add another magic card called Matter Leveler which will increase its attack points by 100 every time it attacks. Cyclon Laser also gives Gradius the ability to inflict damage even if the monster is in defense mode. Gradius, attack Kaiba's dragon with proton laser!" The jet fired its weapons at Kaiba's dragon.

(G: 1500-1600)

(K: 600)  
(N: 6400)

"And since your dragon can return to the field, I can just attack it again and again withering down your life points."

"Can Kaiba still win, Yugi?" Serenity asked.

"If he draws a powerful monster, he could."

"I don't think Noah's going to give him the chance," Amara observed.

Kaiba drew a card but it still wasn't the one he wanted. "I'll leave my monster in defense mode and end my turn."

"A waste of a turn," Noah said drawing a card. "I summon Gradius's Option (2) which creates a second Gradius to join my first one."

(GO: 0-1600)

"First I'll attack your dragon with my first Gradius." Kaiba's monster was destroyed temporarily but returned to the field.

(K: 500)  
(N: 6400)

_I can't keep this up much longer, _Kaiba thought.

"Are you enjoying the show, Mokuba?" Noah asked.

"Mokuba!"

"So, Seto, how does it feel to lose your only friend, how does it feel to be truly alone? Is it humiliating? Is it agonizing? Do you think you can't suffer any more? Well you're wrong; I will make you suffer until you wish you were dead! And then, I'll make you suffer some more. Now I'll attack your dragon with my second Gradius!" The cycle went through again.

(K: 400)  
(N: 6400)

The second attack knocked Kaiba to the ground. As he struggled to get up, he called out to Mokuba again.

But all he got was Noah's laughter. "Look at the almighty Seto Kaiba, writhing in pain waiting to be put out of his misery. Well you'll only be put out of your misery when I decide so."

"Don't you dare give up, Kaiba!" Joey snapped. "You're not going to just lie down like some dog, are you?"

Kaiba was able to get himself onto one knee. With a small chuckle, he said, "No, that's your department." To Noah, he said, "It'll take more than a few lousy attacks to keep me down! And it's my move!"

"The sooner you give in, the less you have to suffer," Noah said.

Yugi had heard enough. "Mokuba," he called. "Noah's brainwashed you! Seto is your brother, not Noah!"

Mokuba's eyes widened a little, it seemed like Yugi's words were getting through to him.

"Don't listen to him, Mokuba, he's just trying to turn us against one another."

Kaiba decided to follow suite, "Mokuba, don't let Noah poison your mind! You know we've always been there for one another!" His shoulder slumped. "There's something that I've never told anyone, but… you saved my life! When I was young, Gozaburo was merciless in teaching me to be just like him. I worked for hours without rest or food. I was starting to wonder if it was worth it. I even considered the option of… throwing it all away. But you inspired me, Mokuba, by sending me my cards and drawing me that Blue-Eyes. When I saw that makeshift card you drew, I knew that I had to work hard so that one day I would be able to possess a real Blue-Eyes! It inspired me, Mokuba, gave me the strength to continue. If you hadn't drawn it, I don't know what would've become of me."

* * *

_I remember it all! I remember that I once read a book about rare collectible items and the Blue-Eyes White Dragon card was one of the most valuable and priceless items mentioned. I knew Seto was always looking for something to set him apart from the rest but I didn't even know where to find one, let alone pay for one. So I drew my own card and slipped it into Seto's deck. Little did I know that it would pay off for me big time._

_Two weeks later, I was walking home and saw a bright light coming from an alleyway. It was so bright that I couldn't make out what was causing it, but it looked human. I then heard a female voice._

_"Give these to your brother, they will always be his."_

_Something was slipped into my hand and the female voice said, "Let these connect your hearts to the past, the present, and the future. And just as there are three, so will a third heart join with yours and guide the two of you to your destiny."_

_The white light vanished. I cleared my eyes and looked at what she… or it… gave me. It was a Blue-Eyes White Dragon card! I couldn't believe my luck. It was just handed to me literally out of the blue. Then I noticed that there was a second card underneath the first one. It was another Blue-Eyes White Dragon and a third one was underneath that one. Three Blue-Eyes White Dragons! As they say on television, I hit the mother load._

_I didn't tell Seto about the woman's voice, I knew he would just think I was crazy. Instead, I wrapped them up in a jewelry box and placed it underneath his door. When he came downstairs for dinner, he was doing something I never thought I would see him do again. He smiled.

* * *

_

"I… remember," Mokuba struggled to say.

"That's right, Mokuba, you're my brother and that means you're strong! You can break through Noah's mind control because like me, you never give up!"

A single tear dripped down Mokuba's cheek.

_Please, I need this to be the card I need, _Kaiba mentally pleaded. He drew the card and looked at it. "Yes!"

Noah reflexively took a step back.

"First I place one card face-down and now I will once again call upon my Deck Master's special ability! Now I only need to sacrifice one monster so I can summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

Yugi and the others cheered.

Kaiba's Different Dimension Dragon disappeared and his trademark dragon appeared.

"It's… Blue-Eyes," Mokuba staggered. He held his head in pain. Slowly, the mystical redness left his eyes. "Huh?"

"He's free!"

"Mokuba!"

"Seto!"

"No, Mokuba, he's the enemy!" Noah accused and reached out to grab Mokuba's shoulder.

"NO!" Mokuba shoved Noah down and ran away from him.

"Too late for you, nut job," Joey said.

"You see, Noah, anybody who messes with the bond between me and my brother will provoke my wraith and the wraith of my Blue-Eyes! Blue-Eyes White Dragon, attack his Gradius with White Lightning!" The dragon fired a white energy burst and obliterated both of them.

(K: 400)  
(N: 4900)

"Hey, how come Kaiba was able to waste both with just one shot?" Duke asked.

"Gradius' Option is linked directly to Gradius," Harold explained drawing upon his own experience with the card. "Whatever happens to the original also happens to the other, including it being destroyed."

"Now you have no monsters on the field and at the mercy of my Blue-Eyes," Kaiba told Noah.

"I'm not afraid of your pitiful little dragon," Noah said. "I'll sacrifice the five monsters on board Shinato's Ark to raise my life points by 2500!"

(K: 400)  
(N: 7400)

"Now his life points are even higher than before," Tristan said jumping up and down.

"It's my turn now," Noah said.

"Not so fast, Noah, I think it's time to decide which one of us is superior once and for all."

"How?"

"With my trap card Last Turn; with Last Turn, we each choose a monster to engage in battle and whichever monster is destroyed first loses the duel. Of course I'll choose my Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Blue-Eyes, attack!"

"And I choose to attack with… my Deck Master!" Shinato's Ark moved onto the field.

"This is perfect," Joey said. "If Noah's Deck Master is destroyed, Noah loses!"

Amara suddenly let out a scream. "Gyah!"

"Amara, what's wrong?" Tea asked.

"I just realized what was so freaky about that Deck Master of Noah's."

"You mean you've just figured it out now?" Duke asked.

"Ever since that overgrown bathtub toy first appeared, something about it was nagging me, but I couldn't figure it out until now."

"Figure what out?" Serenity asked.

"Shinato's Ark… it's not a monster at all!"

"What?" Everyone asked.

"Shinato's Ark is a magic card, a ritual magic card! And if the Shinato's Ark Deck Master is anything like the actual card…"

"Oh no!" Yugi cried suddenly catching on.

The Blue-Eyes White Dragon flew above Shinato's Ark and fired its White Lightning blast. The blast blew a hole in the Ark. An explosion that seemed much larger than the attack could produce.

"I win!" Kaiba declared.

"Think again," Noah said.

"What?"

"Shinato's Ark wasn't my real Deck Master, it was… a cocoon of sorts, and now that your blast has penetrated it, it's time for my true Deck Master to emerge!" The burst of energy took the form of a giant blue human with four large wings. "Behold, Shinato, the King of a Higher Plane (3)!"

"That monster has over 3300 attack points!" Amara cried out.

"Amara, this isn't the time to joke," Duke said.

"I'm not."

"Shinato, attack with Eternal Judgment!" Shinato fired a shock wave which destroyed Kaiba's Dragon. Kaiba was knocked off his feet again from the attack. The remaining cards in his deck spilled out.

"Seto!" Mokuba cried running to him.

"You see, Father?" Noah asked calling up to the sky. "I am capable of running Kaiba Corp.! Now there's just one more task left to complete." Noah was actually absorbed into Shinato. "I've decided not to escape to the real world in your body. There are plenty of bodies to choose from and I want to turn Seto into a permanent fixture in the virtual world!"

Kaiba looked up and saw Mokuba running towards him. "Mokuba," he said smiling genuinely. The Kaiba Brothers were literally inches apart from one another when a blast from Shinato transformed them into stone statues.

"NO!" Yugi and the others ran to check on them.

"It's too late," Harold said solemnly.

Tea noticed that Yugi's hand was trembling. "Yugi?"

"Nobody deserves this," Yugi said sobbing. He stared at Mokuba's tears which had also turned to stone. "Not Kaiba, and especially not Mokuba. This… must… end… NOW!" His Millennium Puzzle shined and energy began gathering around Yugi. Now transformed, Yami-Yugi stared at Noah. "You're wrong, Noah, this doesn't prove you're the best, it only proves you're a coward!"

"How dare you, you have no right to talk to me like that! I won this duel fair and square."

"No, I have every right to talk to you like that! Kidnapping Mokuba and using him as a shield was unfair! You're guilty of the same underhanded tactics that you accused the Big-5 of doing! Kaiba could've easily won this duel but he chose the safety of his brother over his victory! And this duel is still on!"

"What do you mean?"

"Kaiba still has 400 life points and his Deck Master is still on the field. By your own rules, this duel is not over!" Yami-Yugi picked up the scattered remains of Kaiba's deck and shuffled them into his deck. "If you truly want to prove that you're better than Kaiba, then finish this duel!"

"Very well then." If I win, I turn all but one of you to stone than use the remaining body to escape to the real world."

"And if I win, you set us all free!"

"Agreed." The ground started to shake as Yami-Yugi, Shinato, and Kaiser Sea Horse were all raised fifty feet off the ground.

"Let's duel!" The two boys shouted.

The End

* * *

Duel Monster Database

(1)  
Name: Gradius  
Level: 4  
Type: Machine  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 1200  
DEF: 800

(2)  
Name: Gradius's Option  
Level: 1  
Type: Machine/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: X  
DEF: X

(3)  
Name: Shinato, the King of a Higher Plane  
Level: 8  
Type: Fairy/Ritual/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 3300  
DEF: 3000  
Deck Master Abilities:  
Blessed Touch: When a Fairy-Type monster on your side of the field inflicts Battle Damage to your opponent's life points, increase your life points by an equal amount.  
Reversal: Once per game, activate this Deck Master Ability when this monster is destroyed to immediately return it to the Deck Master Zone instead of losing the current duel. Then you may no longer Special Summon this monster to the field.  
Sacred Being's Blessing: Double the original ATK of each Ritual Monster face-up on your side of the field using the effect of a Spell card named in the Ritual Monster's effect text.


	25. The Fall of Noah Pt 1

Yu-Gi-Oh! Avatar

Fanfic Chapter 139: Fall of Noah Pt 1: The Spirits Within  
Episode Basis: Noah's Final Threat Pt 1

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh! Kaiba tried desperately to get through to Mokuba who was turning against his brother by siding with Noah and demanding that Kaiba Corp. be handed over. Kaiba pleaded with Mokuba, revealing that it was Mokuba who made him strive to become a better person and grow powerful enough to possess a Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Then for the coup d' grace, he summoned the Blue-Eyes White Dragon and freed Mokuba from Noah's spell. But then Noah revealed a surprise of his own: his real Deck Master was Shinato, King of a Higher Plane which turned both of the Kaiba Brothers to stone. Enraged, Yami-Yugi took up Kaiba's deck and volunteered to continue dueling. But if Noah wins, he turns mostly everyone to stone and escapes to the real world. With a 7000 life point difference and no monsters to defend himself with, has the King of Games finally lost?

* * *

Amara watched as Yami-Yugi and Noah ascended into the air. "I'd just like to make known my objections to this plan," she said to the others.

"None of us like it, Amara," Joey said. "Yugi must be out of his gord!"

"He has 400 life points and battling an opponent with over 7000, one would think that," Harold cracked.

"But the only way Kaiba and Mokuba are going to be free and all of us back to normal and out of here is to defeat this whacked job," Tristan pointed out.

"I know Yugi will win," Tea said. "We just have to have faith in him."

"You used deceit and betrayal to overwhelm Kaiba," Yugi was telling Noah. "But I promise you won't be able to do that with me."

"I won't need to," Noah retorted, his face replacing Shinato's and his Duel Disk becoming big enough to fit on Shinato's arm. "As soon as I replenish my deck with new cards…" Multiple orbs of light went into Noah's Duel Disk. "I'll turn you and all your little cronies to stone!"

"You haven't won yet."

"Oh please, you have only 400 life points and no monsters to defend yourself with. What can you do?"

(Y: 400)  
(N: 7400)

"Whatever I can," Yugi said as he drew a card. _Please, let this be a monster. If it isn't, I won't survive the next turn. _He looked at the card and saw that it was a monster. He breathed a sigh of relief. "I've drawn a monster card: Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts! And I'll summon it in defense mode!"

"Oh yeah!" Joey cheered.

_I wouldn't start celebrating yet, you fool! _Noah drew a card and his face changed to that of disappointment.

"I'm guessing you didn't draw a usable card."

"It doesn't matter, I can still destroy you with my Deck Master!" Six orbs of light formed a circle around Shinato. "These orbs of light form what is known as the Divine Ring. It can destroy your monster and half your life points at the same time." Gazelle was encompassed in the circle and destroyed.

(Y: 200)  
(N: 7400)

"Plus it raises my life points by an equal amount."

(Y: 200)  
(N: 7600)

"Like that guy needs any more life points," Tristan cracked. Amara nodded.

"Don't worry, Tristan, Yugi's still going to beat him," Joey assured him.

"I hope," Serenity added.

"You and your friends are going to pay for challenging me, and all for someone who hates your guts."

"Kaiba and I are rivals, but we share a link like you would never believe, a link that goes back three millennia. And there is another link: though we are rivals, we both duel with honor and respect, unlike you!" Yami-Yugi drew a card. "I'll set a monster in defense mode and end my turn."

"Worthless," Noah said drawing a card. "It's time to play a monster that resides in the Spirit World."

"Spirit World?"

"I summon Yata-Garasu (1) in attack mode!" A purple bird appeared. "Next I'll use Shinato's Divine Ring to destroy your face-down monster. The orbs surrounded and attacked the face-down card.

A large elf wearing armor and carrying a sword appeared.

"You won't be able to destroy my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian," Yami-Yugi said smugly. "His special ability prevents him from being destroyed by any monster with more than 1900 attack points."

Noah growled. "I play the magic card Spring of Rebirth. Now every time a monster returns to my hand, I gain 500 life points. So now I call Yata-Garasu back to my hand." The bird disappeared and Noah took the card off his Duel Disk.

(Y: 200)  
(N: 8100)

"You can't just recall a monster!" Yami-Yugi protested.

"Oh yes I can. You see, Yata-Garasu is a spirit monster."

"A spirit monster?"

"When Maximillion Pegasus was traveling to get ideas for his new Duel Monsters card game, his travels took him to the mystical orient where he learned about the ancient Spirits who would perform tasks before returning to their world. He designed a series of cards based on this fact."

"That means Yugi can't get to them," Amara realized. "Because Noah will just recall them to his hand at the end of his turn."

But if Yugi was worried about that, he didn't show it. He drew a card and his eyes almost bugged. _This is one of Kaiba's cards! And since Noah's Deck Master is on the field, I can use the card to destroy the Deck Master and win the duel. _"I'll set a monster in defense mode and end my turn."

"I think I'll start my turn off by summoning another spirit monster, Asura Priest (2)! Attack his Celtic Guardian with Six Sword Slash!" Asura Priest threw six swords, all of which stabbed Obnoxious Celtic Guardian. "Asura Priest's special ability allows it to attack all monsters on the field, even those that are face-down!" Swords were stabbed at Yami-Yugi's face-down card.

The card was Cyber Jar.

"You have Kaiba to thank for that card," Yami-Yugi said. "Cyber Jar destroys all monsters on the field including your Deck Master!" A large vortex opened up and started to suck in Asura Priest and Shinato.

"Yugi did it!" Harold cried.

"I activate Shinato's second special ability Reversal," Noah commanded. Shinato moved backwards and Noah ejected himself from Shinato.

"But your Deck Master should've been destroyed!"

"Shinato's second Deck Master ability, I can return it to its original position on the sidelines. However, I can't summon it to the field again and if I do, I automatically lose the duel."

"Well Cyber Jar has a second special ability: we each pick up five cards and special-summon any monsters with four stars or less."

"That's a relief," Tea said.

"I summon Sangan (3) and Gamma the Magnet Warrior (4)," Yami-Yugi said. He saw Noah looking through his hand discouraged. "Aren't you going to summon any monsters?"

"I can't," Noah admitted.

Amara chuckled. "Looks like somebody forgot Spirit Monsters' weakness."

"What's that?" Duke asked.

"Spirit Monsters can't be summoned by any cards. They have to be summoned directly from the hand. If that wasn't the case, then Noah's side of the field would be crawling with those things."

"Now it's my turn and I choose to sacrifice my two monsters," Yami-Yugi announced. The mutated Kuriboh and portly rock warrior disappeared. "When Sangan is sent to the graveyard, I'm able to summon a monster with less than 1500 attack points to my hand and I choose Big-Shield Gardna. Now I summon Dark Magician!" The Dark Magician appeared as a result of the two sacrifices. "Dark Magician, attack him directly. Dark Magic Attack!" The Dark Magician mercilessly attacked Noah.

(Y: 200)  
(N: 5600)

"How dare you humiliate me like that!" Noah cried.

"It was you who humiliated Kaiba and Mokuba just so you could prove that you are superior to your father!"

"I am superior, and I should be awarded for my unsurpassable intellect."

Amara let out a sound of disgust, "If there's anything I hate more than a rich snob, it's a rich snob with a god complex."

"Respect must be earned, not given," Yami-Yugi berated. "Perhaps your father did treat you badly in the past but that's no excuse for the way you're treating us now!"

Noah gave Yami-Yugi a dirty scowl and drew a card. "I play the magic card Next World." A carpet appeared with the Dark Magician trapped in it. "This magic card takes one of your monsters and lets me summon one with the same number of stars. Now I summon Yamata Dragon (5) in attack mode."

"Amara, I thought you said that Spirit Monsters couldn't be summoned by magic cards," Tristan said.

"I did, at least that's what I thought."

"Contrary to popular belief, Pegasus did create some magic cards to work in conjunction with Spirit Monsters. Yamata, Dragon, attack Yugi's Dark Magician!" The nine-headed dragon blasted fire and destroyed the Dark Magician. Fairy of the Spring and Shinato's Deck Master Ability both kicked in.

(Y: 100)  
(N: 6200)

"How can Yugi win if Noah's life points just keep going up?" Tristan asked.

"Newton's Law," Amara replied. "Whatever goes up must come down." _At least I hope, _she mentally added.

"Yugi, don't let Noah push you around," Tea called.

"We're all behind you, Yug," Joey added.

"That over-blown memory chip has nothing on you," Harold threw in.

_Insignificant peons, _Noah thought.

_Everyone's counting on me, _Yami-Yugi realized. _I can't let them down, for their sake as well as the Kaiba Brothers, I have to keep fighting! _Yami-Yugi started his turn. "I play Swords of Revealing Light!" A ring of golden energy swords surrounded Noah. "Now you can't attack for three turns, but I can. I summon Kuriboh in attack mode! Kuriboh, attack!" Kuriboh charged forward and bit down on Noah's arm like an attack dog. Noah waved his arm around finally dislodging the fur ball from his person.

(Y: 100)  
(N: 5900)

"That pathetic little puffball barely made a dent," Noah commented.

Kuriboh looked like it was ready to charge Noah and attack him on general purposes.

"I set a monster in defense mode and end my turn."

Yami-Yugi drew Dark Magician Girl. _Dark Magician Girl should be able to help. But I still need Kuriboh to protect my life points and I can't use Kaiser Sea Horse's special ability because it only works on light monsters. Perhaps I should save her for later. _"I summon Big-Shield Gardna in defense mode. I also switch Kuriboh to defense mode. That ends my turn."

"Then I'll set another monster in defense mode," Noah said. "One more turn and your swords will be gone. Even my weakest Spirit Monsters should be able to defeat you now."

_He's right, _Yami-Yugi thought as he started his turn. _None of these cards can help me. _"I set one card face-down and end my turn."

"Only one more turn and it'll be all over for you, Yugi," Noah said.

"No, Yugi, we know you can beat him!" Tea called.

"Your friends are clueless to think you can actually win, Yugi."

"You're just jealous because Yugi actually has friends to care about him while you have nobody but your sorry self!" Joey snapped.

"How dare you!" Shinato fired an energy beam at Tristan turning him to stone.

"Tristan!"

"Oh no, he's turned to stone like Kaiba and Mokuba," Amara realized.

"And all of your friends will be that way, each turn you fail to defeat me. Soon, you'll have nothing but a circle of stone statues who were once your friends."

Yami-Yugi chuckled.

"What's so funny?"

"We were right about you, Noah, you haven't aged in six years, physically or mentally."

"Watch your mouth!"

"Despite your vast amounts of knowledge, you haven't gained any wisdom. In Kaiba's words, you're nothing but a spoiled brat!"

"You tell him, Yugi," Duke cheered.

"Yeah, send that runt back to the nursery where he belongs," Amara chirped in.

"We know you can win," Serenity added.

"I can't believe they still have faith in you!"

"You wouldn't find it so hard to believe if you actually had friends," Yami-Yugi said.

Noah drew a card, "All I need to know about friendship is how to destroy it! It's my move and I'll flip-summon one of my face-down monsters, Otohime (6)! When Otohime is summoned to the field, she can change one of your monster's battle positions and I choose your Kuriboh!" Kuriboh changed from a docile position to a more stand-offish position. "Next I sacrifice her and my other face-down monster so I can summon Yamata Dragon again!" The nine-headed dragon appeared again. "Yamata Dragon, attack Kuriboh now!"

"If that nine-headed nightmare's attack hits, Yugi's a goner," Joey realized.

To Be Continued

* * *

Duel Monster Database

(1)  
Name: Yata-Garasu  
Level: 2  
Type: Fiend/Spirit  
Attribute: Wind  
ATK: 200  
DEF: 100

(2)  
Name: Asura Priest  
Level: 4  
Type: Fairy/Spirit  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 1700  
DEF: 1200

(3)  
Name: Sangan  
Level: 3  
Type: Fiend/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 1000  
DEF: 600

(4)  
Name: Gamma the Magnet Warrior  
Level: 4  
Type: Rock  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 1500  
DEF: 1800

(5)  
Name: Yamata Dragon  
Level: 7  
Type: Dragon/Spirit  
Attribute: Fire  
ATK: 2600  
DEF: 3100

(6)  
Name: Otohime  
Level: 3  
Type: Spellcaster/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 0  
DEF: 1000


	26. The Fall of Noah Pt 2

Yu-Gi-Oh! Avatar

Fanfic Chapter 140: The Fall of Noah Pt 2: The Ties that Bind  
Episode Basis: Noah's Final Threat Pt 2

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh! With a Deck Master whose ability he can't use and only 400 life points, Yami-Yugi set out to beat Noah, who had twice the amount of life points he started out with. Yami-Yugi played carefully, only attacking when he was sure he could affect Noah's life points. But Noah had a whole new arsenal of monsters at his disposal: Spirit Monsters, monsters who return to the owner's hand at the end of the turn that they are on the field. And if you think that's bad, it was about to get worse. Seeing how close Yugi and his friends were, Noah tried to expose it as Yugi's Achilles' Heel, turning each of them to stone for each turn Yugi fails to defeat him. Now, with Yamata Dragon's 2600 attack points heading towards Kuriboh's 300 attack points, it looks like Yugi's body is about to get a brand new host and it's not Yami-Bakura.

* * *

"This will be the finishing attack," Noah gloated as the attack struck Kuriboh. "I did it, I finally won!"

"It's all over," Tea said despairingly looking away.

"Maybe not," Joey corrected. "Yugi's monster was destroyed but it doesn't look like he lost any life points." Tea risked looking.

Yami-Yugi was still standing and still smirking.

"What are you happy about?"

"You didn't defeat me yet." He showed his life point counter.

1800.

"What?"

"I activated my trap card, Nutrient Z which raises my life points by 4000."

"But you're still not out of danger yet, don't forget, for every turn you fail to defeat me, I turn one of your friends to stone."

"Next I activate Shinato's special ability raising my life points by 3300!"

(Y: 1800)  
(N: 8200)

"Then I activate the magic card Sebek's Blessing raising my life points by the same amount you lost."

(Y: 1800)  
(N: 10500)

"Finally Yamata Dragon returns to my hand giving me 500 extra life points."

(Y: 1800)  
(N: 11000)

"He has over 11,000 life points," Duke exclaimed. "How can Yugi win?"

"I've seen quite a few duels and in all of them, I've never seen anybody's life points go over 8000 let alone 10000," Amara said.

"Amara, you're not making me feel better."

Yami-Yugi looked over at the others and more specifically at the statues of Tristan, Kaiba, and Mokuba. _I promise I will set you guys free, _he mentally vowed. He drew a card. "I summon Alpha the Magnet Warrior in attack mode. Attack Noah's life points directly!" Alpha swung his sword diagonal across Noah's chest.

(Y: 1800)  
(N: 9600)

"I end my turn."

"You shouldn't have said that," Noah said laughing. "Now I get to turn one of your friends to stone!" Shinato fired an energy beam heading straight towards Duke.

"Leave him alone!" Amara cried leaping into the line of fire.

"Amara!"

"It doesn't matter," Noah said.

The blast got them both.

"Two with one shot, not bad," Noah said complimenting himself.

Yami-Yugi glared daggers at Noah. "I will not let you get away with this."

"You don't have a choice in the matter. And she is next." He pointed to Serenity. Serenity gasped.

"Don't worry, sis, as long as I breathe, I won't let this whiney toddler touch you," Joey said stepping in front of Serenity.

"Now I summon the spirit monster Inaba White Rabbit (1). This little guy has a special ability. It can attack your life points directly!"

The rabbit snuck up behind Yugi and hit him in the back.

(Y: 1100)  
(N: 9600)

"Now, Inaba White Rabbit returns to my hand." Noah's Deck Master ability and Spring of Rebirth magic card activated again.

(Y: 1100)  
(N: 10800)

"What now?" Serenity asked clutching her brother's arm.

"Don't worry, Yugi can still defeat this freak," Joey assured her.

"I set one card face-down and sacrifice Alpha in order to summon Dark Magician Girl! And since Dark Magician is in my graveyard, her attack points increase by 300!"

(DMG: 2000-2300)

"Dark Magician Girl, attack her life points directly!" The Dark Magician Girl fired her scepter at Noah which struck him in the hip.

(Y: 1100)  
(N: 8500)

"You'll have to do more than that to save Joey's sister," Noah said.

"I can't," Yami-Yugi said defeatedly.

"Too bad," Noah said and fired an energy beam at the Wheelers.

"Joey!" Serenity shoved him out of the way so that the blast only struck her.

"NO!" Joey cried dropping to her knees and sobbing.

Noah chuckled, "You said you wouldn't let me touch her, you never said anything about letting me turn her to stone."

_What am I doing? _Harold thought. _I should be protecting them, not standing around here like a lump. That does it, the next time Noah tries that trick again, I'm unleashing my Armlet on him full blast!_

"Joey, I'm sorry," Yami-Yugi said.

"No you're not," Noah said. "If you really cared, you wouldn't have allowed this to happen to her in the first place. Let's face it, you don't really care about them at all."

"Even if that was true, it wouldn't matter," Harold said firmly. "Because we care about him."

"What?"

"You heard me right, you cyber freak show, it doesn't matter what you do to us, you won't be able to destroy the bond we share. We made a pact long ago to be there for each other no matter what. You, of all, should realize that a body doesn't matter, it's a soul and heart that allows a person to triumph, not insults and petty threats."

Noah humphed, "A pretty argument but you're obviously out of touch with reality."

"That's a nice comment coming from you," Harold said sarcastically.

"I'll show you," Noah said. "I summon Inaba White Rabbit in attack mode."

"Reveal trap card," Yami-Yugi commanded. "Dark Renewal!" A casket with a star on the center appeared.

"Not that!"

"Oh yes, Dark Renewal allows one monster on each side of the field to be sacrificed. However, in return I get to summon a spellcaster from my graveyard, and I choose my Dark Magician!" The star absorbed Big-Shield Gardna and Inaba White Rabbit. The door slid open and the Dark Magician was revealed. It stood by its female counterpart.

(DMG: 2300-2000)

Frustrated, Noah played a card face-down and ended his turn.

"All right, now things are starting to look up," Joey commented.

"I have a feeling that there's about to be more good news on the way," Harold said.

"Now I play Contract with the Abyss. With it, I can summon any dark ritual monster I choose as long as I sacrifice a monster with an equal number of stars. So I sacrifice Valkyrion the Magna Warrior (2) so I can summon the Magician of Black Chaos (3)!" A larger, darker version of the Dark Magician appeared.

"Three Dark Magicians!" Tea gasped.

"I've never seen them all on the field at the same time," Harold commented.

"Didn't Yugi use that monster before?" Joey asked. "It looks familiar."

"Yeah, I think he used it in his duel against Pegasus," Harold reminded him.

"Yugi will be fine," Tea said confidently.

"You face three of the most powerful spellcasters to ever exist in the game," Yami-Yugi announced. "For together, Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, and Magician of Black Chaos have a combined attack power of 7000!"

"But Noah has over 8,000 life points," Tea commented, her previous bravado waning.

"True, but it'll be a big help in bringing it down," Harold pointed out.

"Now my Dark Magicians, combine your powers and attack his life points directly!" The three monsters crossed their staffs together and a combined pink, blue, and purple energy beam was launched at Noah.

"I've set a trap card too," Noah revealed. "Activate Chaos Barrier Field! This takes the attack from your strongest monster and turns it against your weakest one!" The blue blast belonging to the Magician of Black Chaos turned against the pink one, the Dark Magician Girl's. The Dark Magician Girl screamed as she was destroyed.

(Y: 300)  
(N: 9300)

"As much as I hate to admit it, Yugi, you put on a great show," Noah said. "In fact, it was so great that I'm willing to turn your friends back to normal… if you forfeit the duel. Of course Kaiba and Mokuba remain as they currently are but then again, you might like that. After all, without your biggest rival, there would be nobody to challenge you."

"Yugi, don't give up!" Joey called. "Look, Kaiba may be a jerk but even he doesn't deserve anything like this!" To see Joey, who's not Kaiba's biggest fan, speak out for him like that, it really shocked Tea and Harold.

"Join your sister," Noah simply said and turned him to stone.

"Joey!" Yami-Yugi, Tea, and Harold cried. Tea and Harold scowled at Noah.

"You think this is fun, you overblown microchip?" Harold asked.

"You're nothing but a baby who changes the rules when things don't go his way," Tea added.

Noah laughed surprising the two remaining spectators. "I've already proven my superiority; I'm just waiting for Yugi to admit it."

"Well keep waiting," Tea snapped. "Yugi will never bow to a cry-baby like you."

"Just for that, I'll make sure you're last. That way, your precious Yugi's spirits will be totally devastated. Now for my turn, I'll set a monster in defense mode and another card face-down." Noah looked at a card and paused for a second before saying, "I guess there's no harm in showing you this card seeing as how you're going to lose." He showed Yami-Yugi a trap card. "It's called Groundbreaking. And when I activate it at the beginning of your turn, I'll be able to call a Spirit Monster to my hand from the graveyard. With only 300 life points, Inaba White Rabbit should be enough to finish you off." He set the card face-down. "I end my turn."

Yami-Yugi started to draw a card.

"Reveal trap card: Groundbreaking! And I'll use it to call Inaba White Rabbit to my hand…"

"Which is just what I wanted you to do," Yami-Yugi interrupted. "I play the magic card Card Destruction!" Noah gasped. "That's right, now you have to discard your entire hand and draw a new one. Magician of Black Chaos, attack Noah's face-down monster with Chaos Scepter Blast!" The Magician of Black Chaos fired an energy blast at the face-down card.

Otohime appeared briefly. "My Otohime's special ability switches the position of one of your monsters and I choose your Dark Magician!" The Dark Magician genuflected. "Her destruction also lets activate my remaining trap card Vessel of Illusion which allows me to summon a monster back from the graveyard. And I think I'll choose Otohime again." Otohime appeared in defense mode.

Yami-Yugi had no choice but to end his turn.

"And our next contestant," Noah said sarcastically as an energy beam was fired at Harold.

"You'll find that I'm not that easily beaten, Noah!" Harold shouted activating his Armlet. The Armlet began pushing back the blast.

"You fool, I am a god in this world!"

To Harold's shock, the circle of symbols began to dissolve. His shield failed and Harold too was turned to stone.

"Harold, not you too!" Yami-Yugi cried.

"Finally, he shut up," Noah said and turned to Tea. "Anything you would like to say to your precious Yugi before you become a permanent fixture in my virtual world?" Tea stared defiantly at Noah. "Sometimes it's best to air your grievances now. Remain silent, huh? Fine with me, it's my move and first I play the magic card Change of Heart which lets me control one of your monsters and I think I'll choose your Dark Magician."

"Not my Dark Magician!" Yami-Yugi cried as the monster went over to Noah's side.

"Now I sacrifice Dark Magician and Otohime to summon Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi (4) in attack mode!" A muscled man with tattoos on his body and fire for hair appeared.

"Our monster's attack points are even."

"You're right, that'll have to change. I play the magic card Flaming Fist which increases my monster's attack points by 200 for this turn!"

(HKT: 2800-3000)

"Attack Magician of Black Chaos with Flaming Fist Attack!" The Magician of Black Chaos was engulfed in flames. Yami-Yugi was forced down.

(Y: 100)  
(N: 10000)

"Finally, I play the magic card Spiritual Energy Settle Machine. By discarding one card from my hand, I'm able to keep my Spirit Monster on the field."

"Yugi, please get up!" Tea pleaded.

Noah turned her to stone. "You might as well stay down," he told Yami-Yugi. "You have no monsters on the field, no cards in your hand, and most importantly, no friends to cheer you on. You're all alone!"

_He's right, I am alone._

_"You're never alone!"_

_"Yugi?" _Yami had forgotten about his little counterpart who seemed to float down to him from a sea of light and lifted him out of the darkness.

* * *

They found themselves inside the Millennium Puzzle in Yami's soul room.

_"Yugi, what did you mean when you said I'm never alone."_

_"All you have to do is look inside your heart and your friends will always be with you." _Yugi took Yami into one of the rooms.

_"Yugi, I don't recognize this room."_

_"This is your recent memories. You don't visit it often, because… well… up to now you haven't had any recent memories. But now you do, and look, all our friends are here." _Joey, Tea, Tristan (as a human), Harold, Serenity, Duke, and Amara appeared.

_"Just because you don't know your past doesn't mean you should forget us," _Harold commented.

_"We're all here for you, Yug," _Joey said.

_"And we all believe you can beat Noah," _Tea said.

_"But how can I? I don't even have anything to fight with."_

_"Yugi." _It was Kaiba and Mokuba. Yami was actually surprised to see them though later, he would realize that he shouldn't be considering how he remembers them. _"You can't let that brat win. And don't forget you have my deck too."_

_"You see, Yami, no matter what Noah might say, you'll never be alone, We'll always be with you."_

_"Thank you, all of you."_

Harold's Armlet started to glow and a small orb of light appeared. He held it out and everyone (Kaiba and Mokuba too) placed their hands on it.

* * *

Noah was laughing at Yami-Yugi's predicament. But his laughing abruptly stopped when Yami-Yugi rose. "So, you want some more, huh? You should've stayed down."

"I… won't… give up!" Yami-Yugi stared at Noah fiercely.

The emblem of the Millennium Items was on his forehead.

Noah gasped.

"It's my move!" Yami-Yugi drew a card. "I play Card of Sanctity! This allows both of us to draw from our decks until we're both holding six cards." Yami-Yugi's deck started to glow. _I call upon the heart of the cards and the spirits of my friends to help me stop this lunatic once and for all! _Six cards floated out of his deck and floated in front of him. Yami-Yugi grabbed them and looked at them. _This might just be the combo I need. _"First I play Pot of Greed which lets me draw two extra cards!" Yami-Yugi drew two glowing cards. "Next I play Monster Reborn to revive Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" The dragon arose from the ground and hovered menacingly in front of Noah.

"But… you never played that card."

"You forget that this is technically Kaiba's duel so just as his deck has become mine, so has the monsters in his graveyard become the monsters in mine. Now I play Polymerization and I'll fuse the Dragon I revived with two more Blue-Eyes White Dragons in my hand to form… Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"

Noah noticed that each card Yami-Yugi played exhibited an overwhelming force, almost like there was a human presence associated with the cards. But that didn't make any sense, cards weren't suppose to act like this way. Was Yugi somehow manipulating his virtual system somehow? But Noah didn't feel any outside force. So what, what was it?

"Now I play another magic card called Quick Attack allowing my monster to attack immediately! Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, attack his monster with White Neutron Blast!" The three-headed dragon let out an energy beam from each of its heads which converged and destroyed Noah's Spirit Monster.

(Y: 100)  
(N: 8300)

"My next magic card is De-Fusion which transforms my Ultimate Dragon back into three separate dragons." The Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon separated back into three Blue-Eyes White Dragons.

Noah desperately looked through his hand but couldn't find anything to help him.

"For Kaiba, Mokuba, and all my friends… this play's for you. I play my final magic card Delta Attacker. When I have three of the same normal monster on my side of the field, I can have them attack my opponent together dealing 9000 points of damage. And nothing you can do to stop it. Now, Blue-Eyes White Dragons, attack together with White Lightning!" The dragon's blasts formed a triangle which headed towards Noah all together. "It's over, Noah!"

The End

* * *

Duel Monster Database

(1)  
Name: Inaba White Rabbit  
Level: 3  
Type: Beast/Spirit  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 700  
DEF: 500

(2)  
Name: Valkyrion the Magna Warrior  
Level: 8  
Type: Rock/Effect  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 3500  
DEF: 3850

(3)  
Name: Magician of Black Chaos  
Level: 8  
Type: Spellcaster/Ritual  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 2800  
DEF: 2600

(4)  
Name: Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi  
Level: 8  
Type: Pyro/Spirit  
Attribute: Fire  
ATK: 2800  
DEF: 2900


	27. A Family Affair Pt 1

Yu-Gi-Oh! Avatar

Fanfic Chapter 141: A Family Affair Pt 1  
Episode Basis: So Close Yet So Far

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh! Noah was systematically turning Yugi's friends to stone for each turn in which Yugi failed to defeat him. The first victim was Tristan, the robot monkey. Then Duke and Amara were struck together. Serenity was able to save Joey from being turned to stone but wasn't able to save herself. Joey was turned to stone soon after. Not even Harold's Armlet could protect him from being turned to stone. And finally, Tea, the one of them who has known Yugi the longest, was turned to stone. Noah was kicking Yami-Yugi while he was down when Little-Yugi came to Yami's rescue revealing that even though their bodies were turned to stone, their hearts are alive and well. Re-energized to an extreme, Yami-Yugi summoned Kaiba's Blue-Eyes White Dragons which launched a vicious attack and Noah was defeated.

* * *

Noah screamed out as the triple White Lightning attacks struck him head on.

(Y: 100)  
(N: 0)

"Your reign of terror has ended, Noah," Yami-Yugi said. "And as such, all of my friends are set free!" Yami-Yugi held up his hand and the energy that was literally emanating from him from the Millennium Puzzle covered the stone statues which turned back into Kaiba, Mokuba, and the others.

"I'm back to normal," Tristan cried. Then let out a monkey squeak. "Well… sort-of."

"Serenity!"

"Big Brother!" The Wheeler siblings ran towards each other and were melded in a fierce hug.

"Mokuba!"

"Seto!" The Kaiba Brothers were finally reunited. "Oh Seto, I was afraid I would never see you again."

"Mokuba, I'm glad you're safe."

"Seeing as how you two are back to semi-normal, that means Yugi won the duel," Duke said.

"What duel?" Kaiba asked.

"After Noah pulled a sneak attack on you, Yugi took over," Tea explained. "He combined your deck with his."

"My deck?" He looked down at his empty Duel Disk. "He used MY deck?"

"Oh quit your bellyaching," Amara said. "Technically it isn't your deck, just holographic representations of cards you also have."

"Still…" Kaiba decided to let the subject drop. He was free and he and Mokuba were reunited, that was all he cared about.

The stone platforms descended. "How?" Noah asked out loud. "How could a mere mortal have defeated me?"

"Because you weren't just defeated by me," Yami-Yugi said.

"What do you mean?"

"Each card I played contained the heart of a friend. You weren't just defeated by me, you were defeated by all of us." Noah collapsed to his knees. "I could not have won without the help of my friends." He looked back at the others. "And the more you tried to break us apart, the stronger our friendship grew."

"This wasn't how it was suppose to happen," Noah whined. "I was supposed to win."

"You have been trapped alone in this virtual world for six years, Noah," Yami-Yugi said walking over to him. It's distorted your mind."

_Yugi's right, _Noah thought. _Even before I was trapped in the virtual world, I've never had any friends. Maybe the reason I despise Yugi and his friends is because of that friendship, because they share a bond I've never experienced. I tried to eliminate their friendship. But they don't understand, they'll never understand what it feels like to be me. My father promised me with everything but left me with nothing. _"It's not fair, I should be president of Kaiba Corp.!" He glared daggers at Yami-Yugi. _Look at him, thinking he's better than me. _"I can still escape to the real world in your body!" He rushed at Yami-Yugi and stuck his arm inside his body.

The Millennium Puzzle activated. Noah saw strange golden objects, seven in all. He also saw a person who looked like Yugi dressed in fine Egyptian robes. "What is this, who are you? Your mind, it's full of… secrets!"

Yami-Yugi saw images too. Their bodies encased in pods much like the ones he, Joey, and Mokuba were in when they went to rescue Kaiba from The Big-5.

"Hold on, Yugi!" Harold concentrated hard. Last time he tried using his Armlet, it failed him. He needed it to work for him this time.

A circle of symbols separated Noah from Yami-Yugi. "If you want him, Noah, you'll have to go right through me," Harold declared. "And when I say through me, I mean THROUGH me. You're not getting to him until there's a gaping hole in my body!"

"Ask and you shall receive." Noah lunged at Harold but Harold used his Armlet to push Noah back again.

By this time, the others have run up to them and taken strategic positions around Yami-Yugi. "Why don't you try that on me," Joey challenged.

"Joey, stop, he's just a kid," Serenity argued.

"A virtual kid with the ability to manipulate the world at will," Harold pointed out.

"Yeah, normally I'm not one for violence against children," Amara said. "But in this case, I'm willing to make an exception."

"It's time to release us from this virtual world, Noah!"

Noah laughed, "You've never left the real world." The Duelists and their allies all reacted with surprise. "That's right, everything here is virtual and your real bodies are in virtual pods inside the ship."

"So that's why we've been able to feel things in this world," Tea realized.

"It might also explain why my Armlet failed me, because Noah manipulated the world so that the blast was able to penetrate it."

"Yes, your bodies are just as virtual as mine."

"Of course!" Kaiba exclaimed. "When we fell through that hole, we didn't fall into a virtual world; we were knocked unconscious and placed in virtual pods!"

"So I'm not really a robot monkey?" Tristan asked.

"No."

"That's a relief."

The skies began to get dark which surprised even Noah. "Now what?" Amara asked.

"YOU HAVE FAILED FOR THE LAST TIME, NOAH!" A voice boomed.

"That voice!" Mokuba cried.

"It can't be!" Kaiba added.

A giant face appeared. The face looked like the picture that Yugi and Tea found in the virtual Kaiba mansion.

"Gozaburo!" Mokuba recognized.

"Father, what are you doing here?" Noah asked.

"How can he be here?" Kaiba asked.

"AFTER SETO DISGRACED ME BY TAKING OVER MY COMPANY, I VIRTUALIZED MY OWN MIND AND DESTROYED MY BODY!"

"But why?" Serenity asked.

"FOR REVENGE!"

"So you were behind all this!" Kaiba realized. "I should've known Noah wouldn't recall his own funeral or adopting me and Mokuba."

"Yes, and now you're going to give Kaiba Corp. to me, right, Father?"

"YOU HAD YOUR CHANCE AND YOU FAILED! NOW I'M TAKING OVER!"

"No, Father, all I need is a little more time."

"YOU'VE HAD PLENTY OF TIME! NOW I'M GOING TO FINISH WHAT YOU AND THE BIG-5 COULDN'T!"

"Hold on," Kaiba interrupted. "You had your chance too, Old Man, and you failed and lost Kaiba Corp. to someone more deserving of the job."

"I TAUGHT YOU EVERYTHING YOU KNOW. YOU WERE A WORTHLESS FOOL UNTIL I CAME AROUND!"

"All right, Gozaburo, enough horsing around, tell me what's really going on?"

"YOU HAVEN'T CHANGED AT ALL, SETO. VERY WELL, I'LL START BY TELLING YOU THE REAL REASON WHY YOU WERE ADOPTED."

* * *

_When you beat me at chess, I realized that you had a potential I have only seen in myself. So I decided to adopt you and your runt of a brother to motivate my biological son, Noah. But then Noah had his… accident. I managed to preserve his mind in cyber space but I soon realized that it wouldn't matter. Noah would always be the same spoiled brat, unworthy of taking charge of an arms manufacturer like Kaiba Corp. So I turned my attention towards you. I worked you hard, grooming you to become the next head of Kaiba Corp.

* * *

_

"You gave up on your own son and left me all alone in cyber-space?" Noah asked incredulously.

"Poor guy," Mokuba muttered staring at Noah.

"So what did you intend to do with me?" Kaiba asked.

* * *

_Even if Noah could learn to run a major company, he still lacked one critical element… a body. And that was where you came in, Seto!

* * *

_

"That's sick!" Serenity gasped.

"Huh, what?" Duke asked.

"Gozaburo planned to put Noah's brain inside Kaiba's body," Amara deduced.

"No kind of human would do something like that," Tea commented.

Gozaburo laughed.

* * *

_Relax, that plan only worked for a short time. Why should I give Seto Noah's mind when his own mind was just fine, perfect for running Kaiba Corp. So I trained you, Seto, working you beyond your limits so that you could inherit my empire. But you stole it right out from under me! So before I ended my own life, I downloaded my brain into the computer where I could plot my revenge.

* * *

_

"You only used me to trap the others here," Noah accused.

"YES, IT WAS THE ONLY THING YOU DID RIGHT."

"You snake," Kaiba spat.

"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO CALL ME A SNAKE. I WAS THE MOST POWERFUL PERSON IN THE WORLD UNTIL YOU CAME AROUND AND STOLE EVERYTHING OUT FROM UNDER ME! I TREATED YOU BETTER THAN I TREATED MY OWN SON!"

"Thanks for nothing," Kaiba cracked. "I'll make sure you'll never regain your power."

"YOU DON'T HAVE A CHOICE. OBSERVE." A view screen opened up in the sky and a satellite was shown. "THIS IS ONE OF THE KAIBA CORP. SATELLITES LEFT OVER FROM WHEN I CONTROLLED THE COMPANY. WITH IT, I CAN BEAM A SIGNAL ANYWHERE ON EARTH. I PLAN TO USE IT TO TAKE CONTROL OF ALL COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND ASSIMILATE EVERYONE INTO THE VIRTUAL WORLD!"

"That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard."

"I'M SURPRISED YOU FEEL THAT WAY, NOAH, IT WAS BASED ON YOUR PLAN, REMEMBER? ON YOUR BIRTHDAY."

Noah gasped.

"Nobody would be willing to come to a world ruled by a psycho," Harold argued. "Even if you forced them to."

"THEY WON'T HAVE A CHOICE. ONCE EVERYONE IS IN MY VIRTUAL WORLD, I WILL USE THE REAL WORLD'S WEAPON SYSTEMS TO DESTROY ALL REMAINING LIFE ON IT! THE WORLD WILL BECOME UNINHABITABLE AND THE NEW WORLD WILL RISE WITH ME AS GOD!"

"There's no way we're going to let you get away with this," Duke said.

"JUST LIKE THE REST OF THE WORLD, YOU WON'T HAVE A CHOICE, BECAUSE YOU WILL CEASE TO EXIST FROM THE REAL WORLD AND THE VIRTUAL WORLD!" The ground started to shake. Gozaburo's image disappeared as hundreds upon thousands of humanoid Duel Monsters started to appear all marching towards them.

"Hey Kaiba, any more disgruntled relatives you like to introduce us to?" Amara asked sarcastically.

"We're surrounded!" Serenity cried.

"Everyone, stay close," Noah instructed and held his hand to the ground. He fired a blast of energy which formed a hole in the ground. "Everyone down the hole quickly."

"Do you think we can trust him?" Serenity asked.

"At this point, we don't have much of a choice," Kaiba replied. Everyone jumped into the hole with Noah being last. No sooner had he descended then the hole closed up.The last thing they heard was Gozaburo's demonic laughter.

* * *

_Where are those fools? _Yami-Marik wondered as he walked down a hallway. _I can't wait any longer. _He took out his Egyptian God Card, The Winged Dragon of Ra (1). _I need to obtain Obelisk the Tormentor _(2) _from Seto Kaiba and I need to win the Millennium Puzzle and Slifer the Sky Dragon _(3) _from the Pharaoh. But I can't do that if I can't find them! _Unknown to Yami-Marik, he tripped a security laser causing several robots to come alive.

* * *

"I think we lost my father for now," Noah said. He and the others had taken shelter in a cave. "But I know it won't be long before he discovers us. We need to escape now and I know how."

"How?" Yami-Yugi asked.

"Follow me."

"I don't trust him," Joey said.

"Consider the options," Amara said. "I rather deal with him than the Great-Big-Head-In-The-Sky."

Everyone started to follow Noah through the cavern.

Serenity gently pulled on the sleeve of Joey's shirt. Joey looked at his sister who gave him a pleading look. Joey sighed and knew what Serenity wanted him to do. He went up to Harold, "Yo, Harold, you got a sec?"

"Joey, I don't think this…"

"Better now than never," Joey interrupted. "Look, I just wanted to say… well… sorry, man, for… what I said on the blimp last night. If Serenity's okay with you, then I'm okay with you. So what do you say, buds?" He offered Harold his hand. Harold shook it.

Serenity let out a sigh of content.

Unknown to them, Noah's eyebrow twitched at the exchange. Trying to ignore it, he led them up to a control panel next to a set of steel doors. He studied the panel before sighing defeatedly. "I'm sorry," he said. "Gozaburo seems to have locked this way. I wanted to escape to the real world, not destroy it! Apparently the only part of my father that was uploaded was his greed and desire for death and destruction."

_Poor guy, _Mokuba thought. _Gozaburo used him just like he used Seto._

"Every virtual reality program has to have more than one emergency exit in case of system failure," Kaiba commented. "So if I were you, Noah, I would think harder."

"What's wrong, Seto?" Noah asked mutely. "Don't you want to stay for a while?" He turned around to face them. His eyes had gone dark and there was a crazy look to his face. "My Father's planning on bringing the whole planet here and I'll never be alone again!" He let out a maniacal laughter.

"Still don't want to deal with the Great-Big-Head-In-The-Sky?" Joey asked Amara.

"Shut up," Amara replied.

Mokuba ran up to him and slapped him a couple of times. "Get a hold of yourself, your father betrayed you. Don't tell me you're going to join his side after what he did to you!"

That seemed to knock some sort of logic back into Noah. "You're right, Mokuba, sorry." For a moment, Mokuba saw a young Seto Kaiba's face in Noah's.

_Whoa, I'm seeing things, _Mokuba thought.

"Wait a second, I just remembered," Noah said. "I created my own emergency escape exit. I was going to use it once I got a body. Follow me." _I will not succumb to my father's treachery. I will betray him in return as soon as I get a body and I know just the one.

* * *

_

Yami-Marik heard a sound behind him. He turned and saw several security drones behind him.

"Halt, you are in an unauthorized area."

Yami-Marik chuckled, "Then come at me if you dare." The security drones opened fire. Yami-Marik used the Millennium Rod to bat away the lasers before encompassing them in a shadow realm bubble and shrunk it destroying them. "Well that was amusing," Yami-Marik commented. "Now to find those fools."

* * *

Noah was still leading them through the caverns. Yami-Yugi dropped back to Kaiba. "Kaiba, something's not right," he said. "Noah is not to be trusted."

"Tell me something I don't know, Yugi."

"Then why are you following him?"

"I was taught to watch my enemies very closely."

They exited the cavern into a chasm.

_"Maybe Kaiba's wrong," _Yugi offered appearing. _"Maybe Noah is trying to help us. His father mistreated him too."_

_"You think so?" _Yami asked.

_"Kaiba and Noah really are similar," _Yugi commented. _"They were both mistreated by Gozaburo and they both need all of our help to stop him."_

_"You might be right, Yugi. In that case, why don't you take over?"_

_"Okay." _Yami was suppressed into the Millennium Puzzle and Yugi took over.

"Here it is," Noah said showing a set of large oak doors. "Once you step through those doors, you'll wake up in the real world in your original bodies."

"Wahoo!" Tristan cried than monkey squeaked. "Excuse me."

The doors opened revealing a swirling white energy. Everyone's field of vision was engulfed in light.

* * *

Mokuba found himself in a plaza in what looked like Domino.

"How'd I get here?" Mokuba wondered. He didn't see anyone else. "Seto? Yugi? Anybody?"

"Mokuba!" Noah ran up to him. "What are you still doing here? Everyone's already outside."

"I don't know, something must've gone wrong."

"My father, he must be trying to prevent you from escaping. Follow me, I'll lead you to the exit point." _Mokuba may think his friends are free but in fact they're trapped in their own memories!_

To Be Continued

* * *

Duel Monster Database

(1)  
Name: Winged Dragon of Ra  
Level: 10  
Type: Divine-Beast  
Attribute: Divine  
ATK: XXXX  
DEF: XXXX

(2)  
Name: Obelisk the Tormentor  
Level: 10  
Type: Divine-Beast  
Attribute: Divine  
ATK: 4000  
DEF: 4000

(3)  
Name: Slifer the Sky Dragon  
Level: 10  
Type: Divine-Beast  
Attribute: Divine  
ATK: X000  
DEF: X000


	28. A Family Affair Pt 2

Yu-Gi-Oh! Avatar

Fanfic Chapter 142: A Family Affair Pt 2: Past Reckonings  
Episode Basis: So Close Yet So Far

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh! No sooner had the duel between Yugi and Noah ended, then the real mastermind behind the Virtual Wars was revealed Gozaburo Kaiba! The tyrannical despot digitized his own mind after Kaiba stole Kaiba Corp. away from him. In true villain fashion, Gozaburo revealed his sinister plan to the heroes: to assimilate everyone into the virtual world then destroy the real world. That way, he could rule over humanity as a god. Noah took them underground where they searched for a route back to the real world. They found one, but (not surprisingly) Noah tricked them, isolating Mokuba and trapping the others in their own memories.

* * *

Cirrus just kept cackling as he and his Rare Hunters closed in on Tristan, Serenity, and Duke. "No place to run, my little morsels, why don't you just give yourselves up willingly. Master Marik will control you one way or another, so it's easier to just give up."

"Duke, take Serenity some place safe," Tristan instructed.

"What about you?" Duke asked.

"I'll try to hold them off."

"Tristan, no," Serenity pleaded.

"Go," Tristan said.

"Foolish mistake, boy," Cirrus said. "We have you surrounded."

Tristan got ready for what might be his final fight.

A burly figure slammed into one of Cirrus's servants sending him into the wall of a building. Tristan and Duke saw that it was a heavyset boy with short red hair.

"Who's that?" Another Rare Hunter asked as a stick knocked his feet out from under him. A girl with dark hair and eyes wielded it like a quarterstaff.

"Go, get out of here," the girl said. "Leave them to us."

_Wait a second, _Tristan thought. _This looks familiar. Sure, that's Harold's friend Katy, the one who gave him Serapheem. But how did I…_

"Tristan, come on!" Duke called. He was escorting Serenity by the arm even though she wasn't blindfolded.

"Uh… right, coming!" Tristan called forgetting that he was still in monkey mode.

* * *

Tea was still sitting on the park bench. _Yugi has been acting very strange lately, _she mused. _First it seems like he distanced himself from everyone since that fire, and then he sets me up on that weird date with the spirit of the puzzle. And then there's that dream I've been having. I can't believe that Yugi's going to leave me, it's just not possible. We've been friends for a long time, we've done almost everything together. We laughed, cried, and were even afraid together. But why is it I'm feeling that Yugi will leave soon? Why…_

"Guess who," a voice said as a pair of hands reached out and covered her eyes. Tea instinctively lashed out and elbowed whoever was behind her.

As it turned out, it was only Yugi's Grandpa.

"You shouldn't scare me like that," Tea said. "Wait, didn't this already happen?"

* * *

"Looks like I win," Kevin said as he drew a card. "Hey, nothing personal, but I was taught by the best Duelist I know, she has been in several Duel Monster Championships and I've learned everything she has, perhaps more."

"Wow, I'd love to meet this mentor of yours, but in the mean time, if you think you can win then attack." _This feels like déjà vu all over again. Wait a second, he's going to summon Skilled White Magician and then equip Megamorph to his Maju Garzett._

"With pleasure, but first I summon Skilled White Magician in attack mode and finally, I reveal the card that will defeat you, Fairy Meteor Crush! This magic card will let me inflict damage even if your monster's in defense mode. Since your Maiden has 2000 defense points that means that you'll lose 1400 life points. And when I order Skilled White Magician to attack, that will take away the rest of your life points."

"I knew it!"

* * *

"We're even in life points," Amara said. "But I can guarantee my victory."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because at least I concentrate on winning and don't get so emotional over a measly card like it's my best friend."

"Shut your trap!" Harold snapped making Amara visibly recoil. "You're right, I am fretting over a card, but it's because of what it represents."

"What it represents?" _Oh yeah, that's right, Serapheem was given to him by a friend and he thinks that since I put it down, it's like he's putting the friendship between him and the original owner down. Wait, how do I know that? _

"That card was given to me by my very best friend, who taught me of courage and conviction. I wasn't just upset that you destroyed Serapheem, but you treated it like it was nothing when in fact it represents more to me than anything in the world!"

Amara looked down at her feet and saw a purple line running the length of the field. "Wait, that wasn't there before."

* * *

"Slifer, attack his Dark Magician Girl now!"

Yami-Yugi frantically looked through his hand. _Oh no, there isn't anything in my hand that can save my Dark Magician Girl from Slifer's attack. _Both Yami-Yugi and the Dark Magician Girl watched in horror as the blast hit its mark. "I'm sorry," Yami-Yugi whispered as the Dark Magician Girl disintegrated.

"I hold the ultimate five-card combination," Marik announced. "I'm invincible! There's nothing anyone can do to stop me!"

Yami-Yugi collapsed to his knees. "I… I can't…"

"Get on your feet, Yugi!" Yami-Yugi looked up to see Kaiba standing on the ledge above them. "Since when do you bow to your rivals?"

"Never!" Yami-Yugi declared. "Huh, didn't this duel already happen? Yeah, I think it did. I used Brain Control to take charge of his Revival Jam and set up that loop combo."

On top of the bank, Kaiba was thinking the same thing. _Something's not right, we shouldn't be here.

* * *

_

Noah brought Mokuba into the arcade. "The exit is inside here… though… I kind of forgot where it was." He scratched his head embarrassingly.

"No biggie," Mokuba said. "We'll just try all the games until we find the right one." He sat at the first video game. "I hope it won't be long, I'm eager to get home."

_Sorry, Mokuba, but you won't be going home, _Noah thought.

* * *

Serenity, Tristan, and Duke ran down the street. Tristan rolled around and faced Cirrus. "Duke, take Serenity someplace safe."

"But what are you going to do?" Duke asked.

"I need to find something out. Don't worry, I'll be with you guys soon."

"Okay, let's go, Serenity."

"Be careful, Tristan," Serenity called back.

"I will."

"It doesn't matter, I'll capture your friends soon enough after I deal with you," Cirrus said.

"I don't think so, short, greasy, and ugly."

Duke led Serenity out of an alleyway and across the street where they were almost ran over by a woman in a pink convertible. Joey was besides her.

"Hey, drivers have road privileges too," the driver commented.

"Duke, Serenity," Joey called.

"Joey, what are you doing there?"

_What am I doing here? _Joey wondered as he stared at Mai. He briefly had a flash of Marik zapping Mai with the Millennium Rod.

* * *

_"Stay away," Joey commanded standing between the evil Marik and Mai._

_"I think you need some punishment too," Yami-Marik said as he used the ball end of the Rod to bat Joey off the platform._

_"Joey!"_

_"Now for you, my dear, I'll be taking my card back. Penalty Game: Darkness Consumption!" Mai collapsed.

* * *

_

_That's right, Marik trapped her mind in the Shadow Realm… but she's standing right before me._

Mai was literally standing before him. Without Joey knowing, they were now on a cliff-side looking over the beach and a setting sun. "I could've sworn Mai was in a coma," Joey said to himself. "But she looks fine now."

Mai turned around and stared at him. "Joey, have you ever thought about giving up dueling and just settling down?"

"Now I know something's screwed up," Joey said taking a step back. "The Mai I know would never say anything like that. Something's up."

* * *

"Looks like the playing field is truly even," Harold said.

"Man, is your deck a light deck or a yo-yo deck?" Kevin cracked. "Every time I lower your life points, you find some way to bring it back up."

"Fortunately for you, playing Even Ground requires me to end my turn now." _Wait a second, now I know this has happened before. Sure, I'm going to summon my Gold Chronos Warrior in attack mode and attack his Harpie. But he'll have a Negate Attack trap ready for me. _"I sacrifice my Mystical Elf to summon Gold Chronos Warrior in attack mode. Gold Chronos Warrior, attack his Harpie!"

"Reveal trap card: Negate Attack!"

"Something is seriously wrong," Harold said out loud. "Somehow I'm living past events. I know this is all an illusion but how do I…" Harold looked down at his Armlet. "I don't think my Armlet alone will be powerful enough to pierce this illusion." There was a flash of light and Harold had suddenly jumped forward to the end of the duel. Kevin had just given him his three Knight cards. "You're giving me your Knight cards?" Kevin nodded. "All three of them?"

"I know how much you like light monsters and they do work better as a set."

"Thank you," Harold said.

"Good luck in the finals," Kevin said.

"Thank you, I'll think of you whenever I play these cards." The two shook hands.

Suddenly Harold's Armlet started to glow. Kevin noticed it, "What the heck is that?"

"The only thing that can save us," Harold said cryptically. "Actually, that's not true, it's one of them." He held it up.

* * *

"I've done it," Yami-Yugi declared. "I've locked you into an infinite loop from which there is no escape!" Slifer kept attacking Revival Jam, which kept reforming on Yami-Yugi's side of the field, and Strings kept drawing three cards.

Yugi was about to walk away from Strings when he heard a strange voice, _"Yugi!"_

_"Harold?"_

_"Yeah, it's me, listen, something's not right, we're trapped in the past."_

_"I know, but how do we…?"_

"How could I have lost? I have one of the most powerful cards in Duel Monsters! You'll pay for this, Pharaoh! I still have one more Egyptian God Card at my disposal and this one is more powerful than Slifer and Obelisk put together!"

_"But how do we break free?" _Yugi asked again wishing Marik would just shut up.

_"We must do what we did on the blimp, combine our powers so that we can pierce the illusion and bring us all back together!" _The Armlet and the Millennium Puzzle glowed as one.

* * *

"Hey Duke, what's that?" Serenity asked. Duke looked up and saw a giant eye shining from the distance.

"I don't know," Duke replied.

"Whoa!" Tristan gasped as Cirrus held him up by the tail. For a second, he saw computer chips but then was blinded.

* * *

Tea, now walking with Yugi's Grandpa, also saw the eye. "Hey, what's that?" She turned and saw that Yugi's Grandpa had vanished. And she soon followed.

* * *

Amara gasped as the blimp's floor faded out from under her. She screamed as she fell, the sky becoming a giant computer chip. Suddenly she was spirited away by a flash of light.

* * *

Joey saw the strange eye and a searchlight heading towards him. He took one look at Mai, telling himself that it wasn't Mai, just a phantom. And then the light took him away.

* * *

Yugi, Joey, Tea, Tristan, Harold, Amara, Duke, and Serenity found themselves in a plaza in Virtual-Domino.

"Thank goodness we're all back together," Tea said.

"Somehow Noah tricked us," Yugi said. "Fortunately Harold and I were able to break the illusion."

"That's right," Harold confirmed. _It's strange, it seems like my Armlet and Yugi's Millennium Puzzle get more powerful when they work together. I wonder why that is?_

"Has anyone seen Kaiba?" Amara asked looking around.

The others also looked around but couldn't find him. "Mokuba's gone too," Serenity noted.

Joey cursed, "Just when things were looking up, that sleaze Noah pulls a fast one on us!"

"Come on, let's find him," Duke said. And they all took off.

* * *

Mokuba was on his seventh video game machine when he said, "There must be hundreds of different games here; the exit could be in any one of them."

"I'm sure you're getting close," Noah said and started to reach for him.

"I just realized something," Mokuba said. "You can't escape with us because you don't have a body." Noah paused. Mokuba was obviously smarter than he was at his age. "But I bet Seto could make you a body."

"Make me a body? You would… do that?"

"Yeah, Kaiba Corp. has all kinds of technology experts, so something like that should be an ease. Besides, we're family and family has to look out for one another no matter what."

For a moment, Noah felt a pang of guilt. _Mokuba still trusts me after everything I did to him. I almost feel guilty. _"I remember now," he said. "I remember where the exit precisely is."

"You do, where?" Mokuba asked.

"Over there." Noah pointed to a dance stage like the one where Tea battled Johnny Step. "Just stand on the stage and you'll wake up in your body."

"Finally, home-sweet-home, here I come."

"Yes," Noah muttered. "Here I come." He ran forward and dove straight into Mokuba's back, disappearing inside his body.

* * *

The room wasn't very wide but it was long. A row of virtual pods covered one side of the room. A small control panel stood off to the side.

One of the pods opened and Mokuba climbed out. But there was something different about his eyes. When he spoke, he spoke with a different voice, with Noah's voice. "Finally, after all these years, I'm alive again and free from that virtual prison." He looked at the empty pod. "Thank you, Mokuba, I'll use your body wisely." He let out a hysterical laughter and left the room leaving the other nine trapped inside.

The End


	29. Sins of the Father Pt 1

Yu-Gi-Oh! Avatar

Fanfic Chapter 143: The Sins of the Father Pt 1: The Dark Forbidden One  
Episode Basis: Burying the Past Pt 1

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh! While the others relived moments from the past and Joey had a semi-intimate conversation with Mai, Noah isolated Mokuba and led him to what he said was the exit. It was but before Mokuba could exit, Noah forcibly inserted himself into Mokuba and he emerged in Mokuba's body. But it's not all bad news. Working together, Yugi and Harold combined their magical artifacts and were able to break through the illusions of the past and get everyone together, everyone except Kaiba that is.

* * *

Kaiba walked though the streets of the virtual Domino. _Any fool could've seen that it was never Noah's intention to set us free…

* * *

_

_"Here it is," Noah said showing a set of large oak doors. "Once you step through those doors, you'll wake up in the real world in your original bodies."

* * *

_

_Noah said that those doors would take us to the real world but it was just another trap. However, I can't worry about small fish right now, I have bigger fish to fry, namely taking down the man behind all this madness: my step-father, Gozaburo. _He stopped in front of the Kaiba Corp. building and looked up. "I bet that old fossil is sitting in my office right now. I've taken him down once before and I'll do it again!"

* * *

Joey furiously drop-kicked a can and almost nailed Amara in the head in the process. "That twerp double-crossed us again! I knew we shouldn't have trusted him"

"Hold on, Joey, we can't go rushing into things," Yugi argued. "We need a plan."

"I already have a plan: shake that kid upside the head until he shows us the way out."

"Sounds like a good plan to me," Duke agreed.

"Time out, you two," Tea said. "Have you forgotten that Kaiba and Mokuba are missing too? We can't leave until we find them."

"So once again we risk our necks for Kaiba's ungrateful hyde? Nyuh-uh, no way, Jose." Joey crossed his arms.

"Joey, I know you don't like Kaiba but what about Mokuba?" Serenity lobbied. "He doesn't deserve this." That softened Joey up.

_"This is my fault," _Yugi said inwardly to Yami.

_"Not necessarily, Yugi," _Yami replied. _"You believed there was still good inside Noah, there's nothing wrong with that."_

_"But… he turned all of our friends to stone! He pitted Kaiba and Mokuba against each other. Then he trapped us in our own memories. How can there be good in him? I can't believe how ignorant I was"_

_"Noah's acts of rage are fueled by anger deep inside him. You might still be right, but we can't expect him to change immediately. Perhaps his father's betrayal will make him realize that."_

_"Maybe, but…"_

"I don't mean to change the subject," Amara said. "But what about Gozaburo? He's going to pull a Matrix on the entire world!"

"Our best bet is to find a way to escape," Yugi said.

"And then what?" Duke asked.

"Then we can tell others about Gozaburo and they can stop him," Yugi suggested.

"But who's going to believe us?" Serenity asked.

"Guys, isn't this all circumstantial?" Harold asked. "We need to escape first but we don't know how and the only one who does know how is Noah," Harold pointed out.

"So… the creep… tell… how… exit…" Tristan's comment was interrupted severely by monkey chatter.

"Tristan, I couldn't understand any of that," Duke said. "You're almost all chimp now." Tristan let out a horrified squeak.

_"Yugi, look out behind you!" _Yami quickly took control of Yugi's body and jumped out of the way as a monster suddenly appeared and tried to skewer Yami-Yugi. Yami relinquished the body to Yugi.

"What is that thing?" Serenity asked.

"Skull Knight #2 (1)," Amara said. Two more like the first one appeared and the monster kept on multiplying until there were about a dozen of them.

"There's a whole team of them!" Tea cried.

Several green reptile warriors appeared. "Lizard Soldiers (2)," Yugi identified. A bunch of humans in colorful armor also appeared.

"Oh great, Command Knights (3), just what we don't need?" Harold activated his Armlet's shield and plowed it against one of the Lizard Soldiers. But it stood firm. "I guess my Armlet doesn't have as much power as it does in the real world. Now what?"

Yugi drew a card from his deck saying, "It worked before. I summon Curse of Dragon (4)!" A skeletal dragon appeared. "Curse of Dragon, attack Skull Knight!" The dragon breathed fire and incinerated a bunch of the Skull Knights.

"Leave some for the rest of us, Yugi," Amara said. "I summon Vampire Lady (5)!"

"Now it's my turn," Joey said. "Axe Raider (6), attack!" The barbaric warrior immediately engaged in battle with the Command Knights.

"Go, Gold Chronos Warrior (7)!" Harold commanded.

* * *

Meanwhile, Noah in Mokuba's body walked towards the command center, the door that Yami-Marik was trying to get into earlier. "It's good to be back in the real world again," he said. "And Mokuba's body was a perfect fit. Now I can proceed with my own plans and stop my father from accomplishing his." He entered the central command center. "I'll destroy the central computer that allows the virtual world to thrive. That way, I'll get rid of my father, Seto, as well as Yugi and all his friends. And it will be Mokuba's body that will help me do it." He used the computer to access the satellite.

* * *

Kaiba entered the building and rode the elevator. Emerging onto the penthouse office, he had a brief flash of when he was little and offered his virtual program idea

As expected, Gozaburo was sitting in the office chair. "Haven't you heard of knocking?" He asked.

"You taught me business, not manners," Kaiba retorted.

"True enough, have a seat," he offered. "It's time to have a father-to-son chat."

"Sorry, not interested. It's over, Pops."

"On the contrary, it's just beginning." Moving a chess piece, a screen lowered and showed the duel between Yugi and his friends and the monsters. "Your comrades are about to fall before my incredible monsters and your brother is far away from you." Out of the corner of his eye, Kaiba saw a Cosmo Queen (8) destroy Yugi's Curse of Dragon, the resulting explosion throwing Yugi into the air and away from the others. Serenity and Duke quickly went to go get him while Amara summoned her own Cosmo Queen to stop it.

"Look, Old Man, I'm going to say this once and once only: release us now before I really get upset!"

Gozaburo laughed, "You haven't changed a bit, Seto, but I have a more civilized way of settling our differences. Do you remember the chess game we had when we first met? You beat me, a surprise to me. I propose a rematch."

Kaiba grunted, "Oh please, why would I want to play chess with someone who couldn't even beat me when I was a kid?"

"First of all, it's the only way to free yourself and your friends. And second of all, whoever said I was talking about chess? I propose a different challenge."

"What kind of challenge?"

"It's a game you're quite fond of: Duel Monsters."

"You can't play with my life!"

"You toyed with me when you stole Kaiba Corp. away from me, so it's only fair that I return the favor."

"Why do you have to beat me in a duel just to get rid of me?"

"Because getting rid of you isn't good enough any more," Gozaburo said getting up from his desk. "I want to humiliate you the way you humiliated me and the best way to do that is to beat you at your own game just as you beat me at my own game. So are you going to accept or back down?"

"I've never backed down from a challenge! Let's duel!"

* * *

"There, the satellite is almost reprogrammed," Noah muttered as he inputted the last commands. The satellite began to turn.

A fierce rumble shook the floating fortress.

* * *

Yami-Marik blasted his way out of the hangar with the Millennium Rod. "I'll find the Pharaoh even if I have to tear this entire place apart!" He raised the Millennium Rod over his head and released its energies destroying machinery.

* * *

In the control room, the lights suddenly dimmed. "No," Noah cried. "The power's been cut before I could finish my work, I have to work fast to bring the back-up systems online!"

* * *

In the cargo bay, the clamps holding the blimp down were deactivated.

"We're free," a Kaiba Corp. officer told Roland. "We can take off."

"We can't take off just yet," Roland argued. "Not until the return of Mister Kaiba and the other passengers."

Ishizu heard all this and knew what was going on.

* * *

Kaiba and Gozaburo had adjourned to the arena, the same arena where Kaiba first dueled Yugi. Only this time, Gozaburo had taken Kaiba's spot and Kaiba had taken Yugi's.

"I'll tell you what, to make it fair, we won't use Noah's silly little Deck Master System. We'll duel the old fashion way."

"Not that it'll matter, I'll still defeat you!"

"Big talk, care to back it up? Let's duel!"

(G: 4000)  
(K: 4000)

"I'll go first," Gozaburo volunteered. He drew his sixth card. "I play the magic card Painful Choice. What it does is…"

"I know what it does," Kaiba snapped. "You show me five cards in your deck and I choose one and add it to your hand. The others go straight to the graveyard."

"And I have a feeling that these five cards should look familiar to you. After all, you've faced them before." Five cards appeared in front of Kaiba. They all were monster cards and the pictures made them look like a set.

Kaiba recognized them, he recognized them only too well.

The cards were the five pieces of Exodia the Forbidden One (9).

* * *

_"Draw your last pathetic card!" Kaiba said forcefully._

_"My Grandpa's deck has no pathetic cards, Kaiba. But it does contain..." He held up a card that looked like a giant head. It matched the other four cards in his hand. "Exodia, the Forbidden One!"_

_"No! It can't be!"_

_"Yes. I've assembled all five special cards, all five pieces of the puzzle!" Yugi laid all five cards on the table. A pentacle-star formed and a black portal appeared on Yugi's side of the field. A giant gold-armored monster with broken chains on its arms and legs stepped out of the portal._

_"It's not possible!" Kaiba gasped. "Nobody has been able to summon him!"_

_"Exodia... GOD FLAME!" Exodia unleashed a gigantic energy blast that destroyed all three of Kaiba's Blue-Eyes White Dragons at once. The shockwave almost knocked Kaiba off the platform.

* * *

_

"That's right, Seto, I know all about your history with this monster so that's why I was sure to include it in my deck."

Kaiba shook off the memory. "That's ancient history! Anyway, I'm about to send four pieces to the graveyard." But something was nagging at Kaiba's brain. Even basic Duelists know that possessing all five pieces automatically makes the holder the winner. Gozaburo must have known this so why did he choose to play Painful Choice to get them? He pointed at the right arm, "I choose Exodia's right arm (10)."

"Fine, then I'll set a monster in defense mode and end my turn. It won't be long before you're hearing me say checkmate," Gozaburo said laughing.

* * *

Back in the control room, the lights were restored as Noah activated the reserve power. "There, now to finish reprogramming the satellite." He looked at a side monitor which showed Yami-Marik destroying stuff. "I must stop him before he cuts all the power. My security drones should take care of him."

* * *

"Where are you, Pharaoh?" Yami-Marik called out. Nothing answered him. "This place is bigger than some pyramids," he grumbled. He heard a motor sound behind him and turned to see over two dozen of the robots that he defeated earlier appeared behind him. He chuckled, "Well, looks like I'll get to have some fun after all." Yami-Marik charged forward and removed the dagger from the Millennium Rod and stabbed it in the camera lens. The droid still fired its laser but it was aimed upward. Yami-Marik leapt off just as a piece of the ceiling fell on the robot. Yami-Marik assembled the Millennium Rod and slammed it on the ground. Little explosions of dark energy destroyed several of the drones. Yami-Marik rushed in between two who fired their lasers and ended up destroying each other. He leapt over the rest and landed behind them. As the droids struggled to turn around in the hallway, Yami-Marik aimed his Millennium Rod at them. "Feel the power of the shadows!" A shaft of shadow energy fired from the rod and destroyed, if not heavily damaged, all of them. "Someone obviously is trying to prevent me from finding the Pharaoh. Fine, then I'll go find them instead! And make their life a living nightmare!"

* * *

"How did he destroy all of them?" Noah wondered. "Oh well, it doesn't matter, they served their purpose in giving me enough time to reprogram the coordinates of the satellite."

"Satellite coordinates reprogrammed," the computer voice reported. "Satellite set to fire in thirty minutes."

"So long, fools," Noah bid good-bye and left.

* * *

"All right, the coast is clear," Joey reported. The kids hurried into an alleyway with Duke and Amara carrying Yugi who was still dazed from being batted by a monster with over 2800 attack points.

"Are those things coming back?" Serenity asked worriedly.

"No, they're long gone," Joey replied.

Just as a Lizard Soldier appeared behind them. They screamed. More Lizard Soldiers started appearing.

"Joey, I hate it when you're wrong," Amara said.

"Let's hurry up and beat it," Yugi said struggling to stand on his own.

"Yugi, you're still… attack," Tristan said between monkey chatter. But the gist was understood. Tea looked at Yugi concerned.

"This isn't my real body, remember? Just like you're not really inside a robot monkey. We have to hold out long enough to find Noah and get out of here. Let's do it!" Yugi, Joey, Harold, and Amara stood in between the Lizard Soldiers and their friends. All four of them summoned a monster and sent it into battle.

* * *

Yami-Marik burst into the control room. "Whoever set those things on me must be in here. What's this?"

"Satellite set to destroy fortress in twenty-eight minutes."

Yami-Marik burst into laughter.

* * *

Noah silently rode an elevator to the stop. Even as he was riding in it, the floating fortress itself was rising to the surface.

* * *

_"Yes, and now you're going to give Kaiba Corp. to me, right, Father?"_

_"YOU HAD YOUR CHANCE AND YOU FAILED! NOW I'M TAKING OVER!"_

_"No, Father, all I need is a little more time."_

_"YOU'VE HAD PLENTY OF TIME! NOW I'M GOING TO FINISH WHAT YOU AND THE BIG-5 COULDN'T!"

* * *

_

_Father will regret not giving me Kaiba Corp., _Noah thought. _It's time I left those fools behind for good.

* * *

_

_Mokuba ran up to him and slapped him a couple of times. "Get a hold of yourself, your father betrayed you. Don't tell me you're going to join his side after what he did to you!"

* * *

_

_Mokuba was a fool to think he could trust me. _Noah exited the elevator to an awaiting helicopter.

* * *

_"I just realized something," Mokuba said. "You can't escape with us because you don't have a body." Noah paused. Mokuba was obviously smarter than he was at his age. "But I bet Seto could make you a body."_

_"Make me a body? You would… do that?"_

_"Yeah, Kaiba Corp. has all kinds of technology experts, so something like that should be an ease. Besides, we're family and family has to look out for one another no matter what."

* * *

_

_What's wrong with me? _Noah wondered as he boarded the helicopter. _Why can't I get these images out of my mind?

* * *

_

_"We're family and family has to look out for one another no matter what."_

_"Look out for each other no matter what."_

_"No matter what."

* * *

_

"My God," Noah gasped. "What have I done?" Noah got out of the helicopter and ran back down to the control room. "Mokuba's right, family does look out for each other. And Mokuba… and Seto... are both my family!" He ran into the control room.

And stopped dead in his tracks.

The control board was damaged beyond repair, looking like a lightning bolt hit it. "What did this… that intruder must've destroyed it with that rod of his!" Noah looked at a monitor that showed Yugi, Joey, Harold, and Amara battling Gozaburo's monsters.

"Black Luster Soldier (11), attack!"

"Go, Axe Raider!"

"I summon Thunder Nyan-Nyan (12)!"

"And I'll attack with D.D. Warrior Lady!" The four monsters engaged in hand-to-hand combat with Gozaburo's monsters.

"I have to get Seto and his friends out of there!"

* * *

"I'll set a card face-down and summon Vorse Raider in attack mode," Kaiba announced. "Vorse Raider, attack his face-down monster now!" Vorse Raider threw its weapon.

Exodia's right arm appeared briefly before being destroyed.

"Why did you set Exodia's right arm on the field?" Kaiba asked. "Now, Exodia is entirely useless to you!"

"Don't be so sure," Gozaburo said drawing a card. "I play the magic card Contract with Exodia! This magic card can only be activated when all five pieces of Exodia are in the graveyard. By giving up 2000 life points…"

(G: 2000)  
(K: 4000)

"It allows me to summon the all-mighty Exodia Necross (13)!" A darker version of Exodia appeared. "Checkmate, Seto."

"You seem to have forgotten something: your Exodia Necross only has 1800 attack points while Vorse Raider has 1900."

"Exodia Necross, attack his Vorse Raider with Flame of the Dark God!" Exodia Necros started to glow with dark energy. Vorse Raider threw its weapon and clashed with Exodia Necross's fist.

(G: 1900)  
(K: 4000)

But to Kaiba's shock, Exodia Necros wasn't destroyed!

Gozaburo chuckled, "Exodia Necross can not be destroyed by any monster in battle plus it gains 1000 attack points whenever it engages in battle."

(EN: 1800-2800)

_Gozaburo may think his monster can't be destroyed but he's mistaken. _"I summon Spirit Ryu (14) in attack mode then I reveal my trap card Burst Breath. By sacrificing my Spirit Ryu, I'm able to destroy all monsters on the field with less than 1000 defense points." Explosions raked Exodia Necross.

But it remained.

"It's still standing, but how?"

"It seems an explanation is in order. Each of the five pieces of Exodia that I sent to the graveyard gives Exodia Necross different abilities. The right leg of Exodia (15) prevents Necross from being destroyed by magic cards, the left leg (16) does the same for trap cards, the left arm (17) prevents it from being destroyed by monster effects, the right arm gives it the ability to gain 1000 attack points for every battle, and finally the head of Exodia (18) prevents Exodia Necross from being destroyed by monster attacks."

Kaiba couldn't believe it, "The five pieces of Exodia are strong even in the graveyard! That means I can't destroy Exodia Necross with monster, magic, or trap cards."

"You might as well give up."

"You should know that I never give up," Kaiba declared. "I set one card face-down and switch my Vorse Raider to defense mode."

* * *

There was only ten minutes left before the satellite was to attack. Noah was in the pod room working feverously to warn the others. "I have to work fast," he muttered as he typed commands into a computer. "Hello, can anyone hear me?"

* * *

Yugi and his team had just destroyed another wave of virtual monsters when they heard Noah's call, "Can you all hear me?"

"That's Noah!" Yugi realized.

"Get down here so I can give you the virtual butt-kicking of a lifetime," Joey threatened.

"Where are you anyway?"

"I'm in the real world in Mokuba's body!"

Everyone gasped. "Why that slimy little son of…" Amara began but calmed herself before she could finish that thought.

"Listen, there's no time to explain, you are all in great danger! A satellite is set to destroy the fortress in less than ten minutes! You must escape there before you're all destroyed!"

To Be Continued

* * *

Duel Monster Database

(1)  
Name: Skull Knight #2  
Level: 3  
Type: Fiend/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 1000  
DEF: 1200

(2)  
Name: Lizard Soldier  
Level: 3  
Type: Dragon  
Attribute: Wind  
ATK: 1100  
DEF: 800

(3)  
Name: Command Knight  
Level: 4  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attribute: Fire  
ATK: 1200  
DEF: 1900

(4)  
Name: Curse of Dragon  
Level: 5  
Type: Dragon  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 2000  
DEF: 1500

(5)  
Name: Vampire Lady  
Level: 4  
Type: Zombie/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 1550  
DEF: 1550

(6)  
Name: Axe Raider  
Level: 4  
Type: Warrior  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 1700  
DEF: 1150

(7)  
Name: Gold Chronos Warrior  
Level: 5  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 1900  
DEF: 1900  
You can Special Summon this monster if "Blue Chronos Warrior" and "Red Chronos Warrior" are both on the field. Sacrifice all three monsters to summon 1 "Father Time"

(8)  
Name: Cosmo Queen  
Level: 8  
Type: Spellcaster  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 2900  
DEF: 2450

(9)  
Name: Exodia the Forbidden One  
Level: 7 (Total number of stars on all five cards)  
Type: Spellcaster/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: X  
DEF: X  
(There's a rumor going around the Yu-Gi-Oh! forums that it's ATK and DEF are both 5000. However, it really doesn't matter seeing as how having all five cards gets you an automatic victory).

(10)  
Name: Right Arm of the Forbidden One (Exodia's Right Arm)  
Level: 1  
Type: Spellcaster  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 200  
DEF: 300

(11)  
Name: Black Luster Soldier  
Level: 8  
Type: Warrior/Ritual  
Attribute: Earth  
ATK: 3000  
DEF: 2500

(12)  
Name: Thunder Nyan-Nyan  
Level: 4  
Type: Thunder/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
ATK: 1900  
DEF: 800

(13)  
Name: Exodia Necross  
Level: 4  
Type: Spellcaster/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 1800  
DEF: 0

(14)  
Name: Spirit Ryu  
Level: 4  
Type: Dragon/Effect  
Attribute: Wind  
ATK: 1000  
DEF: 1000

(15)  
Name: Right Leg of the Forbidden One (Exodia's Right Leg)  
Level: 1  
Type: Spellcaster  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 200  
DEF: 300

(16)  
Name: Left Leg of the Forbidden One (Exodia's Left Leg)  
Level: 1  
Type: Spellcaster  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 200  
DEF: 300

(17)  
Name: Left Arm of the Forbidden One (Exodia's Left Arm)  
Level: 1  
Type: Spellcaster  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 200  
DEF: 300

(18)  
Name: Exodia the Forbidden One (Exodia's Head)  
Level: 3  
Type: Spellcaster/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 1000  
DEF: 1000


	30. Sins of the Father Pt 2

Yu-Gi-Oh! Avatar

Fanfic Chapter 144: Sins of the Father Pt 2: Double Sacrifice  
Episode Basis: Burying the Past Pt 2

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh! It was a real battle royal on board Noah's floating fortress. Yami-Marik did battle with Noah's security force and proved that magic is truly mightier than machine. Yugi and his friends were battling Gozaburo's army of virtual monsters who had them pinned down. And Kaiba battled his step-father who had the ultimate monster: a dark version of Exodia the Forbidden One that can't be destroyed by anything. Noah was also involved in a battle: a battle with himself. And whether it was his own conscience or some of Mokuba rubbing off on him, Noah changed his mind and tried to save everyone from the satellite which had been redirected by Noah to destroy the floating fortress itself. But the control panel had been damaged beyond repair. Now with only ten minutes left before the whole place goes up in a towering inferno, the only hope for everyone lies within Noah. How can he do it?

* * *

"The virtual world is about to be destroyed," Noah said. "You have to escape before it's too late!"

"Escape, but how?" Tea asked.

"The real emergency exit is at the Domino Arcade."

"Can we trust him?" Amara asked.

"Trust Noah? No way," Joey said. "I trust him about as much as I can spit on him."

"We don't have any choice," Tristan pointed out.

"But how do we know this isn't a trap?" Harold thought out loud.

"I trust him," Yugi muttered.

"Let's go, even if the exit isn't there, it should give us a place to hide out," Duke commented.

"But how do we get past them?" Serenity asked pointing to the large army of monster amassing towards their location.

Amara drew a card from her deck. "If it works for monster cards, maybe…" She held the card up. "I activate Lightning Vortex!" Multiple lightning bolts began striking down the monsters. "Let's go, knowing Gonzo-buro, he has more of those waiting in the wings." They all took off.

* * *

Kaiba and Gozaburo, who were dueling at Kaiba Corp., also heard the announcement. Addressing Gozaburo specifically, Noah said, "Your plan has failed, Father!"

_I guess Noah has some brains after all, _Kaiba thought.

"How could you do this, son, after everything I did for you?"

"It's called payback. You left me all alone in this virtual world, now I'm leaving you! And you're about to be destroyed by your own weapon."

"Please reconsider, Noah, once I assimilate all of mankind, I was going to have us rule the virtual world as father and son!"

"It's too late! Even if I wanted to, I couldn't divert the satellite. Seto, don't worry about Mokuba, he's fine, just beat Gozaburo!"

"I intend to." Kaiba pointed at Gozaburo. "Looks like you failed again, Old Timer, now there's only one thing left to do."

"Yes, namely escape to the real world and since I don't have a body of my own…" All of a sudden, Gozaburo transformed into a towering flaming beast and made a beeline straight for Kaiba. "I'LL TAKE YOURS, SETO!"

"Just hold it right there!" Kaiba commanded. Gozaburo halted. "Just look at you, you're not even human, you're just a corrupt computer file infecting the system. If you truly want to prove your power, get back in that corner and finish out this duel! The winner will get to escape in my body."

"Do you really think you can beat me in time?" Gozaburo asked returning to his dueling platform and to his human form.

Kaiba looked up, "Noah, how much time before the missile hits?"

"Eight minutes, forty seconds," Noah reported.

Kaiba smirked at his step-father, "Plenty of time."

"Fine, now where were we? Oh yes, it was my turn and I was about to your attack your Vorse Raider with my Exodia Necross! Flame of the Dark God!"

"Reveal trap card: Negate Attack!" A whirling vortex absorbed the dark fire. "Trap cards may not be able to destroy Exodia Necross, but they can still stop its attack!"

"All you're doing in delaying your inevitable defeat. My Exodia Necross is unstoppable!"

"You're wrong, and I've already figured out how to defeat it."

* * *

"The Domino Arcade is only two blocks away," Harold reported. Suddenly Gogiga Gagagigo (1), a reptilian monster and Blowback Dragon (2), a dragon monster with a barrel for a snout appeared in front of them.

"Gyah!" Joey cried.

Suddenly the two monsters were destroyed. Noah's Spirit Monsters as well as the monsters he used in his battle with Kaiba (Shinato included) appeared in between the teens and the monsters.

"Hurry," Noah's voice called. "Those monsters won't be able to hold them off for long!" Everyone ran the rest of the length of the trip.

* * *

"I play the magic card Shrink which reduces your monster's attack points by 1000."

(EN: 2800-1400)

"Next I sacrifice my Vorse Raider so I can summon Luster Dragon #2 (3)! Luster Dragon, attack Exodia Necross!" The green dragon fired a multi-color energy beam at Exodia Necross which went through the dark monster and hit Gozaburo.

(G: 900)  
(K: 4000)

"I've discovered Exodia Necross's one weakness: although it can't be destroyed, it can still take damage! Your monster may be invincible, but you're not!"

(EN: 1400-3800)

"A good try but too little too late. Exodia Necross, destroy his dragon with Flame of the Dark God!" The dragon was destroyed.

(G: 900)  
(K: 2600)

(EN: 3800-4800)

Even though he lost 1400 life points and Exodia Necross now had 4800 attack points, Kaiba didn't look worried.

* * *

Yugi and the gang arrived at the Arcade. "Go to the dance machine at the back and stand on the stage. I'll upload you into your bodies," Noah instructed.

"All right, last stop, everybody out of the train," Harold cracked. "Women and monkeys first."

"Hah-hah," Tristan said sarcastically as Serenity picked him up and carried him onto the stage. The two disappeared. Tea and Duke went next.

* * *

Tea moaned and opened her eyes. Her body felt stiff, like she has been sitting for hours. She then realized where she was: inside a pod. The hatch opened and she climbed out. "I'm back in the real world."

"Tea!"

"Duke, are we really back?"

"I think so. Noah did come through after all."

"Thank goodness," Tristan said perched on top of his pod scratching his head and making monkey noises.

He was a human.

Serenity chuckled, "Tristan, you're not a monkey any more."

"Yahoo!" Tristan cheered.

"You don't look all that different to me," Tea said sourly. Tristan let out an accidental monkey squeak and face-faulted.

* * *

In the virtual world, Gozaburo's monsters had just finished off Noah's. Yugi and Harold summoned Dark Magician and Wingweaver and sent them into battle. "Joey, Amara, get onto the stage," Yugi instructed.

"See you on the other side, buddy," Joey said as he stepped onto the stage along with Amara. The two disappeared.

"All right, Harold, now it's our turn."

"Right." Harold stepped onto the platform.

"Yugi, wait," Noah called.

Yugi and Harold shared a look before Yugi said, "Its okay." Harold nodded and disappeared.

* * *

Joey moaned and sat up.

And hit his head on the glass case.

"It's good to be back in the real world," he groaned. The hatch finally opened up and Joey climbed out.

"Joey!"

"Serenity!" It was another tearful reunion for the Wheeler siblings.

"Good, looks like everyone made it out all right," Noah said. Joey and the others went over and immediately realized that Noah was in Mokuba's body.

"Noah, if you're here, where's Mokuba?" Amara asked.

"Back in the virtual world along with Seto. That's why I asked Yugi to stay behind."

"You did WHAT?" Joey shouted.

"Yugi, listen up," Noah said. "Seto's stuck in a duel with Gozaburo. I need you to go get Seto and bring him to the exit."

"But where are they?" Yugi asked.

"They're dueling at Kaiba Corp. I'll create a virtual shortcut for you."

"Yugi, hold on," Joey called out. "Let one of us go with you."

"No, you need to prepare the blimp for escape," Yugi argued. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"He is the King of Games," Amara said.

Joey sighed defeated.

A door appeared in front of Yugi. He opened it up and went through it.

* * *

"I have a question," Tea said to Noah. "Why are you helping Kaiba? I thought you hated him?"

"I was wrong, Tea," Noah said shamefully. "I blamed Seto for my problems when he didn't even have any say in the matter. He was just a pawn of Gozaburo like I was. I believed that I needed a body to be complete, but now I realize that it's not a body that makes one complete, but a heart and soul. You all made me realize that. I guess what I'm trying to say is… I'm sorry, for everything. Yugi was right being alone for six years clouded my judgment."

"I'm sorry too," Joey said. "For what I said about you, you're all right, Noah." Tristan and Harold nodded in agreement.

"Four minutes to satellite attack," the computer reported.

"Hurry back to the blimp, I'll open the outer hatch for you."

Everyone started to run off but Joey stopped. He turned to Noah and said, "You're the only one who can get those three out of there."

"I know."

* * *

"I play Pot of Greed which allows me to draw two extra cards." He looked at the new cards he drew. "I set a monster face-down and another card face-down."

"How can you be so confident?" Gozaburo asked. "It's obvious you're never going to be able to summon a more powerful monster than my Exodia Necross."

"Never say never, you old fossil. You have a lot to learn about Duel Monsters. And the first rule is you never throw all your strength behind one monster. A true Duelist uses his entire deck."

* * *

The virtual doorway that Noah made for Yugi appeared in front of the virtual Kaiba Corp. and Yugi ran through it. "I hope I'm not too late," he said to himself. He summoned his Dark Magician and blitzed the monsters that were guarding the exit.

* * *

"Exodia Necross, attack his face-down monster with Flame of the Dark God!" The black fire swirled around Exodia Necross's fist and destroyed Kaiba's face-down monster which was Mystic Lamp (4).

(EN: 4800-5800)

* * *

As Yugi rode the elevator, he could hear Noah's voice call out to him to hurry. There were two minutes left.

* * *

"I'll give you one last chance to surrender," Gozaburo threatened. "There are no monsters powerful enough to beat my Exodia!"

Kaiba drew his Blue-Eyes White Dragon. "Watch and learn. First I play Monster Reborn to revive my Mystic Lamp and I'll use its special ability to summon my faithful servant, La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp (5)." A genie with yellow skin popped out of the lamp. "There's a reason that I haven't been able to defeat your Exodia Necross. I've been attacking its body when I should be attacking its soul. So I reveal my trap card: Soul Demolition. This lets both of us remove monsters in the opposing player's graveyard for 500 points a piece." He showed his graveyard which contained only Vorse Raider and Luster Dragon monsters. "But your graveyard has the five pieces of Exodia that give your Exodia Necross its power. First I'll get rid of his left leg which protects him from trap cards, then the right leg which protects from magic cards, followed by the left arm which blocks monster effects and the right arm which is the source of its powering-up ability…"

(EN: 5800-1800)

"Finally I'll get rid of the head of Exodia which blocks it from monster attacks." Has Kaiba sounded off each body part, Exodia's color changed to the original orange that trademarked the original Forbidden One. However, Kaiba lost over 2500 life points from that maneuver.

(G: 900)  
(K: 100)

"Then I sacrifice my two monsters to summon my Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

Gozaburo screamed in rage and horror.

"And that's checkmate." The Blue-Eyes opened fire and destroyed Exodia Necross."

(G: 0)  
(K: 100)

* * *

Noah watched the clock. There was over a minute left before the satellite was going to attack. He looked at Yugi and Kaiba's sleeping forms. _You two better get out of there fast before it's too late, _he thought.

* * *

Gozaburo was stunned, "NO, how could I lose? My strategy was perfect!"

"Well that's what happens when you go up against someone who's superior to you in every way!"

"This isn't the end," Gozaburo said transforming into his flaming beast form. "I'LL ERADICATE YOU FROM EXISTENCE AND TAKE YOUR BODY MYSELF!" Kaiba gasped though he realized he shouldn't be surprised. Betrayal was Gozaburo's trademark.

"Kaiba!"

Kaiba looked down and saw Yugi standing by the elevator. Grabbing his deck, he leapt off just as his dueling platform exploded.

"Noah's managed to return everyone to the real world. We're the only ones left."

"Then let's get out of here." The Gozaburo monster lunged at them as Yugi shut the elevator doors. The two Duelists left the arena and came onto the roof of Kaiba Corp. building. Good thing too, because the Gozaburo monster burst from the arena destroying it in the process.

* * *

The countdown reached zero. The missile that was contained within the satellite was released.

* * *

"The missile has been launched," Noah announced. "You two have to escape now!"

"How, there's no time," Yugi protested.

"Jump."

"Are you out of your mind?" Kaiba asked.

"YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY THAT EASILY, SETO," the Gozaburo monster said.

"I say we don't have much of a choice," Yugi commented. The two took a flying leap off the building. As the two Duelists reached half-way between the top of the building and the ground, a portal opened up. "Awesome, Noah opened up an exit portal for us!"

* * *

Noah laid himself down in one of the pods. "Thank you, Mokuba," he said. His pod closed just as Kaiba's and Yugi's opened.

"Mokuba!" Kaiba pounded on the hatch. "Mokuba, wake up!"

* * *

"Mokuba, I'm sorry for everything I did," Noah said. "Thank you, I'm glad I got to meet my brother."

"Does this mean you're not coming back with us?" Mokuba asked disappointed.

"Gozaburo is still out there. If he isn't stopped once and for all, he'll continue his plan. He's not human, remember? He can never tire. He must be stopped no matter the cost." Noah leaned down and touched Mokuba's shoulder, "Mokuba, you did more for me than you could ever believe. You restored my humanity. And now, I can be at peace with myself." Noah got up and turned to leave.

"Wait… will I ever see you again?"

"Perhaps," Noah said cryptically. He gave Mokuba a wink, "The strange thing about computer files is that more than one copy can exist. One way or another, you will see me again." And he disappeared.

* * *

When Mokuba opened his eyes, he saw Kaiba and Yugi leaning over him. "Seto," he cried. "Noah's still inside."

"There's no time to go back for him," Kaiba said. "We need to get out of here ourselves."

* * *

The missile reached the ionosphere. The fortress was in its sights.

* * *

"I DON'T NEED A BODY TO SAVE MYSELF," the Gozaburo monster decided. "I CAN UPLOAD MYSELF TO ANOTHER COMPUTER SYSTEM AND START OVER AGAIN!"

"I don't think so," Noah said appearing. He dwarfed the giant. "I sealed all the exits so we're both stuck in here!"

* * *

The computer voice kept yelling, "Evacuate, evacuate, missile inbound" as Yugi, Kaiba, and Mokuba ran through the fortress.

Mokuba asked, "Why did Noah have to return to that place?"

"To stop Gozaburo, I imagine," Yugi replied.

* * *

"Is everyone all right?" Kevin asked as he came up to Joey and the others who have returned.

"More or less," Duke replied.

"Where are Yugi and Kaiba?"

"They're still back there," Harold realized.

"We need to take off," a Kaiba Corp. employee said. "If we don't, the missile will strike us!"

"We're not leaving them," Tea said firmly.

"We don't have a choice," Amara pointed out.

* * *

Gozaburo clenched Noah in his massive hand. "WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU CAN STOP ME FROM ESCAPING?"

Noah disappeared and reappeared floating besides Gozaburo. "Have you forgotten, I can control this place too!"

"YOU WOULD CHOOSE THEM OVER ME?"

"Why not, at least they treated me humanely, not like a nuisance like you did."

"I AM YOUR FATHER AND I DEMAND YOU RELEASE ME NOW!"

"No, I'm here to make sure you don't harm anyone ever again!" His body started to glow. Noah held out his hands and digital bands held Gozaburo to the floor. "We are dead, Father, whether we like it or not, we are dead. It's time for the old Kaiba family to step aside and the new Kaiba family to take charge of Kaiba Corp." He embraced the neck of the beast. "It's time to put the rage to rest."

The Gozaburo monster let out an enraged howl.

* * *

"Look, there they are!" Tea pointed to Yugi, Kaiba, and Mokuba who were running towards the blimp which was beginning to ascend.

"Hurry, jump!" Joey called.

"I don't think I can make it," Mokuba said panting.

"Yes you can," Kaiba said picking up his younger brother and throwing him to Duke and Joey who got him. Kaiba himself followed.

_I have to help Yugi get on somehow, _Tea thought as she looked around. She looked at Harold and had a brainstorm. "Harold, your belt!"

"Huh?" Harold looked down and realized what Tea was talking about. He took it off and handed it to Tea. She linked her other arm with Harold who linked arms with Serenity who linked arms with Tristan.

"Yugi, grab on!" Tea called. Yugi leapt up and grabbed the end of the belt. Everyone boarded. Kaiba shut the hatch just as the missile hit.

* * *

The virtual Domino flickered. Noah put all his power into holding his father down. The buildings began blowing up one by one until the explosions reached Gozaburo and Noah. They dissipated into pixels.

Noah's last thought: _Farewell, my brothers.

* * *

_

The floating fortress was consumed in flames. Suddenly the flames took the form of Gozaburo in his monster form.

"YOU SHALL NEVER ESCAPE ME, SETO!" It boomed. "YOU CAN NOT ESCAPE YOUR GOD!" It chomped down on the blimp.

"I can't let the old man win," Kaiba said. "Mokuba, let's go."

"Okay," Mokuba said uncertainly.

Harold looked down at his Armlet. The blimp was shaking wildly. If they didn't put up some defense in time, then Gozaburo would get them.

He knew what he had to do.

Harold removed his Duel Disk and ran off, passing by Kevin, Ishizu, and Yami-Marik (who was smiling joyfully at the chaos being unleashed) as he made his way to the dueling platform.

* * *

On the top of the platform, the sky was almost literally lit up. Harold exited the elevator and leapt onto the platform. _It's strange, _he thought staring around him. Unknown to Harold, a familiar Egyptian eye-shaped emblem appeared on his forehead. _I'm sensing a dark presence, driven by nothing but rage and greed. This… this is why I'm here, this is why fate has given me the Armlet so I could protect my friends from this dark force. And even if it costs me my life, I must protect them. _"All right, you demon, your campaign of darkness ends right here and now. I will NOT let you harm the people I care about… the people I love… and even if it kills me… I WILL STOP YOU!"

"I AM IMMORTAL," the monster said confirming Harold's theory that the flames had personified. "I HAVE INFINITE POWER! WHAT DO YOU HAVE?"

He held up his arm, the one with the Armlet on it. "I have the power of light! Avatar Armlet, I call upon you! Unleash your full power!" The golden wrist band started to shine profusely. A golden ring appeared around the blimp blocking the flames. But the strength to maintain such a ring was quickly taking its toll on Harold. His vision got blurry and he dropped to one knee. _Someone downstairs better do something fast, I don't know how much longer I can keep this up.

* * *

_

Kaiba ran into the control room. _I won't be swallowed by Gozaburo's rage, _he thought. He smashed a glass panel and the button inside. "Sorry, Old Man, but as usual, you lose!"

* * *

The blimp detached turning the zeppelin part into a high-tech jet which boosted away from the flames. Harold saw it out of the corner of his eye. _Good job, Kaiba, _he thought. _I knew you had a heart. _He breathed a sigh of relief and turned his shield on the bulk of the flames. The circle of symbols formed a golden disk which Harold, leaping off the blimp, used to plow through the flames to its very core. Harold saw a phantom image of Gozaburo. He put all his strength into the golden disk into the phantom image.

A huge explosion engulfed the zeppelin.

The End

* * *

Duel Monster Database

(1)  
Name: Gogiga Gagagigo  
Level: 8  
Type: Reptile  
Attribute: Water  
ATK: 2950  
DEF: 2800

(2)  
Name: Blowback Dragon  
Level: 6  
Type: Machine/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 2300  
DEF: 1200

(3)  
Name: Luster Dragon #2  
Level: 6  
Type: Dragon  
Attribute: Wind  
ATK: 2400  
DEF: 1200

(4)  
Name: Mystic Lamp  
Level: 1  
Type: Spellcaster/Effect  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 400  
DEF: 300

(5)  
Name: La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp  
Level: 4  
Type: Fiend  
Attribute: Dark  
ATK: 1800  
DEF: 1000


	31. Epilogue

Yu-Gi-Oh! Avatar

Fanfic Chapter 145: Epilogue  
Episode Basis: Mostly Original, a little of Burying the Past Pt 2

Ever since I first woke up in that apartment with nothing but a slip of paper with a name and a Duel Monster card in my pocket, I have often wondered that unanswerable question: why am I here? But I wasn't asking this as a philosophical question, I was asking it in the literal sense. Why do I have no memory of my childhood? What was expected of me? I've reached so many dead ends in answering these questions that I eventually gave up and tried to survive to the best of my abilities.

There were times when I felt this overwhelming sense of depression, like I was born and then everyone from God on down had forgotten about me. Too often this depression had resulted in me crying myself to sleep. But then something happened.

I was working part-time at an arcade to earn food money when I heard a voice let out a grunt of rage, "I can't believe this, I took dance for seven years and I'm losing to a lousy machine." I looked over and saw a girl on the dance stage. The screen showed in large, loud letters, GAME OVER.

"Is everything all right?" I asked.

She turned around and my stomach started flip-flopping. She had shoulder-length brown hair and blue eyes. She was dressed in a yellow and black T-shirt and pink skirt with stiletto boots. "Yeah, everything's fine, I'm just angry at myself. This game is just so hard."

"But if it was easy, then it wouldn't be fun, would it?"

She chuckled, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"By the way, I'm Harold, Harold Kumara."

"Tea Gardner, it's nice to meet you."

"So you like to play… I mean games." I felt some redness in my cheeks.

Tea burst into laughter which made her forget about her loss.

* * *

Tea treated me like I wanted to be treated: kindly, polite, and very friendly. I was sure to treat her the same way. It seemed like the only reason she came to the arcade was to beat the dance machine game (and she did, after about twenty tries) but a small part of me was hoping that she came to see me. That thought made me feel… special.

One time, I decided to ask if she wanted to get something to eat. She seemed to ponder the invitation for about a minute and for that minute I was afraid I said something I shouldn't have. But then she said, "Sure, how about next Saturday at Burger World." That was the first, last, and only date we would ever be on. I don't know if she expected me to do it again but I was just glad I could take a risk and have it turned out all right.

* * *

Tea didn't show up at the arcade for the next three weeks after our date and I was afraid I drove her away. I was beginning to sink into depression again when one Saturday she came in! But this time, she wasn't alone. There was another kid with her: a boy with spiky blonde hair with red tips and black roots. He also had violet eyes and wore a school uniform. What stood out about him was the upside down pyramid he wore around his neck.

"Hey, Harold," she said cheerfully dispersing my fear that I offended her and the depression that was associated with it. "I'd like you to meet someone. Yugi, this is the guy I was telling you about, Harold. Harold, I'd like you to meet Yugi Moto."

Yugi gave me a smile and held out his hand. "Pleased to meet you, Harold," he said.

"Same here," I said. "Any friend of Tea's is a friend of mine."

I meant every word of it.

"Sorry, Tea, but we had to remove the dance machine for a few weeks so we could make room for this." I showed them a virtual reality machine. "It's called Virtual Wars. You choose to be either a wizard or a warrior and you battle each other."

Yugi's eyes bugged out, "Wow, that's so cool."

"We're the only Arcade in the region with one."

"Hey Harold, can I try it out?" Yugi asked.

"Sure," I said. "But it requires two players."

"Oh." Yugi's head lowered.

I smiled at him, "Tell you what, I'll be your opponent."

"Sweet!"

The two of us set up on the stage and I showed Yugi how to play it. Suddenly the doors burst open and a punk kid stood there. "Oh yeah, there she is, and she's all mine!"

He was staring at the game machine we were using.

He was Victor Bassett, a regular at the arcade. And it's only because he's a regular that he's allowed in. He's rude, forceful, and thinks he is the lord of all video games. He shoved me away. "All right, shrimp, let's battle."

"Hold on, I was going to battle Harold!" Yugi protested.

"That worthless waste of space, forget him! We're going to battle." Victor's insult was a verbal stab right in my heart. Before Yugi could protest, Victor started the game.

Yugi was unprepared for Victor's forceful battling. But what's even more, he was unprepared when Victor actually kicked Yugi in the chest. Normally, if you want to kick, you have to step on one of two squares. But Victor literally kicked Yugi.

"Hey, foul play!" I protested.

"No one asked you, dog crap." Victor continued to assault Yugi's avatar, and his physical body. When Yugi tried to put up a defense, Victor broke through like it wasn't even there. Finally, he kicked Yugi so hard that he flew off the stage and landed at the far wall. He looked unconscious and I was sure that was what it was at the time.

"Yugi!" Tea cried.

I was outraged. Nobody deserved to be beaten like that, least of all a kid. "Let's see how you like it!" I lunged at Bassett but Bassett quickly got me in a judo hold and tossed me to the side. "Man, if you can't defend yourself against a simple move like that, you might as well be dead."

"Harold!"

"Oh crap, now I have no more opponents."

A faint glowing came from the side of the room. We all turned to see Yugi's necklace glowing. A strange light emitted from it to Yugi's body. Yugi opened his eyes but there was definitely strange about them. They somehow had a harsher look to them.

"What kind of a warrior leaves an opponent still alive?" He asked.

"That voice!" Tea gasped.

"Huh, what voice?"

"That voice, that's the same voice of the guy who saved my life before. I never saw his face, but… its Yugi… the one who saved my life those times before… was Yugi!" Tea looked like she was about to faint. I had no idea what she was talking about.

"You can't really call yourself a warrior if you haven't beaten your opponent. How about a rematch?"

"So you haven't had enough humiliation, have you, shrimp? Fine, but don't blame me when you fall the second time, you don't get back up."

"Big talk, let's battle!"

Once again they set up. Once again, Bassett decided to really attack Yugi. But this time, Yugi was prepared. As Bassett launched his first kick, Yugi caught it and twisted it. Bassett was forced to bring his foot back. "Why you little…"

"Anybody can sneak attack, but a true warrior fights up in the open."

"Fine, I'll make your avatar toast then!" Their avatar characters went all out. Yugi's health meter was draining rapidly than Bassett's, not to say that Bassett's wasn't decreasing, just not fast enough.

There was only twenty seconds left before the game would end. Once it ends, the player with the lowest health bar would lose, in this case Yugi.

Bassett got another sneak attack on Yugi's body. Yugi's feet fell on the foot squares which started glowing. His avatar started to glow. His health bar rose back to full. Yugi's magician avatar aimed its scepter at Bassett's warrior avatar and fired an intense beam of energy that decimated the rest of Bassett's health bar.

"He won," Tea said happily.

"You stupid, I should be the winner."

"You only choose to play through cheating," Yugi scolded. "That's why, even if you beat your opponent, you will always lose. Now, pay the price for hurting others. Penalty Game: Renewed Pain!" Yugi held out his hand and Bassett's body shook before collapsing.

"What… happened to him?" I asked.

"He got the punishment he deserved," Yugi said his voice deeper than I remembered. "Now for every pain he has inflicted on his opponents in the past, he will feel it ten fold. And…" Yugi's eyes glazed back and he started to fall over. Tea and I caught him.

* * *

We decided to take Yugi to my apartment to recover since it was closer than Tea's house or the store where Yugi's Grandfather worked. Tea kept constant vigil during the two hours he was knocked out. When he awoke, I could hear them talking but about what I can't imagine. I couldn't imagine it because I was too busy thinking about what Bassett said to me. Was he right? Was I a mistake sent on this Earth? Because I haven't had too much human interaction, I didn't even think that his thoughts were anything but true. Perhaps it was time to end it all. I stood up and went into my bathroom. I took out a pair of scissors and opened them so that the sharp end would hover over my wrist.

"NO!" Something slammed into my back and I dropped the scissors into the toilet. I turned and saw that Yugi had grabbed me in a reverse hold. "Harold, violence isn't the answer, especially violence to one's self."

"But Yugi, I can't stand this any more. I don't have a family, don't have a past, what could I be here for except through some divine accident?"

"You were put on here to be our friend, Harold!"

"What?"

"That's right. How do you think Tea would feel if you just took your own life like that? She considers you her friend and so do I!"

"But Yugi…"

"But nothing, you were sent here for a reason and until we find that reason, you're sticking with us."

"Yugi… okay." Yugi finally released me. "You're one incredible kid, Yugi."

"I could've told you that," Tea said from the bathroom door. "Harold, we'll help you find your purpose, that's what friends are for."

"Gee… I never had a friend before."

"Then you've came to the right place," Yugi said. "When it comes to friendship, Tea's the expert."

* * *

And so, that was how I met Yugi Moto and became his friend. I later realized that Yugi saved my life, saved me from doing something I would probably regret in the afterlife. I made a promise that I would help him just as he had helped me.

And I've helped him in any way I could, from offering advice and observations…

* * *

_Yugi and Harold left the school building and began to walk home. "Yugi, you're a lot stronger than you think you are."_

_"If I am, then why wasn't I able to protect my Grandfather from being taken away by Pegasus?"_

_"Pegasus pulled a fast one on you," Harold said reaching behind Yugi's ear and pulled out a quarter. It was his favorite magic trick and he knew Yugi liked it as well. "Next time, you'll be ready for him. Plus don't forget, you have the ultimate trump card... or should I say cards."_

_Yugi nodded, knowing what his friend was talking about. "Exodia."

* * *

_

_"Yugi, believe it or not, you saved me that day. I was ready to throw my life away but you stopped me. So if you think I'm going to stand by and watch as you put yourself on the line again for me… for us, you've got another thing coming."_

_"But… Pegasus…"_

_"Screw Pegasus, I'm not scared of some maniacal millionaire because he has a trick eye. Yugi, when the final battle comes, I'm going to be right behind you, backing you up 100 percent. And the others will too. They all care about you, Yugi, and nothing, and I mean nothing, is going to stop us from helping you get your Grandfather back."

* * *

_

To even save his life from a fire, of course he didn't know it was me at the time.

* * *

_Avatar leapt on to the duel ring. The archaic symbols appeared and began rotating in front of the flames._

_"Call me crazy, but I think that overgrown chicken scratch is actually pushing back the flames," Tristan realized.

* * *

_

I had a sixth sense that the Battle City tournament would spell doom for everyone involved, especially Yugi. So I sought to halt his advance to his doom.

* * *

_"That still doesn't explain why you're out to get Yugi," Tristan reminded him, his temper slowly leaving him._

_"One of the armlet's other abilities. It gave me a… sixth sense I guess you could call it, a fine-tuned intuition. And I knew that this Battle City tournament would spell bad news for everyone involved, especially you, Yugi. If you value your life, you would withdraw from this tournament, otherwise I would be force to defeat you and eliminate you."_

_The Millennium Puzzle started to glow. Yami had broken the seal and the two joined spirits once again. "Harold, I'm sorry, but I must remain in this tournament. It is my destiny."_

_"Yugi, you decide your own fate," Harold argued. "If you truly value your life, you would withdraw."_

_"I can not."_

_"Then I must eliminate you," Harold said.

* * *

_

Fortunately, or unfortunately,I failed. I didn't want to duel him, but I wanted to help him. Kaiba allowed me to participate in Battle City and it was a good thing too, because one of my opponents was able to verbally knock some sense into me.

* * *

_"But… you're friends with Yugi Moto!" Kevin pointed out. "Doesn't that count for something?"_

_"Not since I tried to eliminate him from the tournament."_

_"Are you sure he resents you for that?" Harold looked up at his opponent shocked. "I don't know about you, but I find it hard to believe that Yugi would resent you for failing at doing something to him."_

_Harold realized that Kevin was right, why would Yugi hate someone for failing to eliminate him? That sounds more like something Kaiba would do than Yugi. He's right, I really have no idea what Yugi thinks of me._

_"When Yugi beat you, he didn't exile you, you did that yourself," Kevin was saying. "If you still consider yourself Yugi's friend, you would stand by him no matter what he thinks of you."

* * *

_

But even while I was trying to protect Yugi and his friends…

* * *

_"Stand close, everyone," Yami-Yugi instructed. "Harold, can your Armlet protect us?"_

_"We're about to find out," Harold said and raised his arm to the sky. The archaic symbols came off the Armlet and began spinning around the kids. Harold decided to include the Kaiba Brothers as an afterthought. The lightning bolts bounced off of the Armlet's shield._

_Yami-Yugi held up the Millennium Puzzle, closed his eyes, and concentrated. The eye symbol on the puzzle's centerpiece started to glow and the same image appeared on Yami-Yugi's forehead. The symbols started to glow brightly and spin more rapidly. A golden ring appeared around the Duelists, a ring that, if seen from above, looked like the Egyptian eye symbol of the Millennium Items with Yugi's puzzle being the pupil.

* * *

_

_Harold said something that caused Tea to cover Serenity's ears. "I don't care about this crummy tournament any more, I won't stand by and watch people I care about get hurt!" Using his Armlet, Harold propelled himself onto the platform. He set up a shield between Joey and Mai and the blast. "I may not be able to stop Marik from winning the duel, but the least I can do is lessen the physical damage!" His shield pushed back the blast._

_Yami-Yugi was finally able to break free from the Rod's hold. He too leapt onto the field and touched his puzzle to Harold's Armlet. The symbols became gold-colored and successfully shielded them from Ra's blast.

* * *

_

I was still looking for my meaning. And once again I was coming upon nothing but dead ends. What Joey said on the blimp certainly didn't help things, reminding me forcefully of what I didn't have that everyone else did.

* * *

_"Are we supposed to feel sorry for that spoiled brat just because he grew to be an evil nutcase?" Joey asked, losing patience with every word. "He trapped Mai's mind in the Shadow Realm, now she's experiencing who-knows-what kind of horrors! If you ask me, he doesn't need to be saved, he needs to be smacked and I'm just the guy to do it!"_

_"Joey, that's enough," Harold said. "You can't place the blame for what Marik did on Ishizu's shoulders. She did her best to prepare Yugi for this trial as a way of redeeming herself for her mistakes. And if you ask me, Marik's father is the one who deserves punishment for the torment he put all three of them through! If he didn't force Marik to go through that hokey ritual, Marik wouldn't even need that dark side. You have every right to be upset at Marik for what he did to Mai but you can't blame the whole family for the mistakes of one person."_

_"Yeah and how would you know?" Joey retorted. "You don't even have a family!" Harold clenched his fist so tight that a trickle of blood fell onto the floor. Harold turned and stormed out.

* * *

_

I was beginning to fall into a depression again. I thought I deserved it but deep down, I wanted somebody, anybody, to get me out of it. Someone did but it wasn't really who I expected it to be.

* * *

_Serenity studied his solemn face for a moment and then took his hand. "Harold, you may not have a family, but you do have friends who care about you."_

_"I do?"_

_Serenity nodded, "Yugi, Tea, Tristan, Duke… and me too, even Joey believe it or not. We all care about you in one way or another. And friends are just as important as family. Take it from me."

* * *

_

I took Serenity's words to heart and finally realized my purpose when I saw that flaming demon trying to devour us.

* * *

_The blimp detached turning the zeppelin part into a high-tech jet which boosted away from the flames. Harold saw it out of the corner of his eye. Good job, Kaiba, he thought. I knew you had a heart. He breathed a sigh of relief and turned his shield on the bulk of the flames. The circle of symbols formed a golden disk which Harold, leaping off the blimp, used to plow through the flames to its very core. Harold saw a phantom image of Gozaburo. He put all his strength into the golden disk into the phantom image._

_A huge explosion engulfed the zeppelin.

* * *

_

I released the Armlet's full power and managed to push the demon back buying Kaiba enough time to jettison the blimp and take off with the others leaving only me for the flaming beast to snack on.

And so, I sacrificed my life to protect the people I cared about.

Or so I thought.

* * *

The shaking had finally stopped. Everyone moaned and struggled to stand. Tristan and Duke each offered Serenity a hand but it was Amara's hand who Serenity accepted leaving the boys dejected.

"Is everyone all right?" Mokuba asked as he and Kaiba came back to check on them.

"I think I have all my body parts intact," Amara said checking to make sure.

Serenity looked around and spotted Harold's Duel Disk on the ground. She picked it up, "Has anyone seen Harold?"

Everyone looked around and started calling out for Harold.

"Kevin, have you seen Harold?" Yugi asked.

"Yeah, I saw him heading for the roof," Kevin replied.

"That's impossible!" Kaiba gasped. "I just jettisoned the blimp. Right now, that explosion would've consumed it."

"You mean Harold's…" Serenity's face went whiter than it has ever been. She dropped to her knees.

"Oh man, this is all my fault," Joey said. "If I hadn't snapped at him last night in Mai's room, I…"

"No, Joey," Yugi said. "I think Harold wanted to protect us. That's why he went up there, to protect us."

"And sacrifice his life in the process." Tristan punched the wall. "Doesn't that blockhead realize that we cared about him?"

"We all did," Tea said solemnly. She looked at Serenity. "Especially Serenity." The others (except Kaiba) lowered their heads in mourning.

A loud clang came from the top. Everyone looked up.

"What was that?" Joey asked.

The clanging sound came again, this time it was more focused.

"You don't think it's…" Tea didn't want to finish the thought.

"There's only one way to find out," Kaiba said and led everyone over to a ladder that led up.

"Get ready, everyone," Yugi instructed. Everyone got into defensive positions and braced themselves for what they believed was the worst.

Kaiba slammed a button.

Harold tumbled down the shaft and landed on the floor. "I'm not doing that again," he groaned. He looked up and saw the others with shocked looks on their faces. "What's with you guys, you look like you're not happy to see me."

Serenity was the first to react. She threw the Duel Disk to Mokuba and ran to Harold grabbing him in the tightest hug imaginable. "Stupid," she said. "Of course we're happy to see you."

The others also ran up to him. "You gave us quite a scare there, big guy," Amara said.

"Wait, how did you survive that explosion anyway?" Tristan asked.

"Well, it's strange. I expected myself to be toast but my Armlet. The symbols somehow formed a ball that encased me from the fire. Next thing I knew, I was on top of this thing."

"We're just glad you're alive," Tea said rubbing his back.

Mokuba sighed and stared out a porthole. "Something wrong, Mokuba?" Yugi asked.

"Noah," Mokuba said. "He… he sacrificed himself to save us." Nobody responded to that. "Do… do you think we'll ever see him again?"

"I suppose anything's possible," Yugi replied. "He's a computer file, right? Maybe he saved a copy of himself on a back-up disk or something. Who knows, maybe we will see him again."

"I hope so."

"Well that little experience was a complete waste of my time," Kaiba said. The comment was like a bucket of cold water thrown over the others. "So let's just pretend it never happened. We need to get back to more important matters: the Battle City Finals." Kaiba touched his pin radio. "Roland, set a course for Kaiba Corp. Island!"

The End

* * *

Conclusion

And so, another arc in the Avatar story comes to an end. I'd like to thank all new readers and returning readers. I also like to thank the following people/organizations:

Blue-Eyes White Knight for the character of Kevin. Sorry that he didn't get a lot of airtime here. for episode synopsis and Japanese-English comparisons.

Kent Regal's Deck Master Variation Reference Guide (http/www.kentregal. for descriptions on the various Deck Master Abilities. This web site contains a list of over 173 monsters including Exodia, Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon, and even the Egyptian God Cards. Check it out sometimes, you might be surprised what kind of monsters you might find there. for hosting this series.

Stay tuned, for the next story arc called "Final Battle" featuring the mother of all shockers. Until then, later.

-Phantom 1


End file.
